Shepherd's Passage
by georgesgurl117
Summary: Despite being the linchpin of one of the Dark Lord's plans, Adelana Shepherd finds love in the last place she expected. When her entire world is suddenly ripped away from her, however, she will put everything on the line to protect the man who was devoted to her only in her memory.
1. The Plot

**Disclaimer: I'll keep checking, but I don't think I'm secretly JKR. Ergo, I can only lay claim to maybe a handful of characters.**

**A/N: This story is going to be a long-winded response to a Nov-March challenge set by the Lovers of the Potions Master facebook group. I will post the prompt at the conclusion of it so as not to give too much away. It's supposed to be 10,000+ words, which will be no worries here. I only worry that it won't be completed before March 1st. If not, then it will just be for fun. **

**As always, let me know your thoughts!**

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**Chapter 1: The Plot**

"My Lord."

"Lucius," Voldemort acknowledged the man who knelt briefly before him. "What news have you?"

The blonde cleared his throat as he straightened his posture. "My Lord, it appears that my dear brother-in-law is set to take control of the _Prophet_ by month's end. His uncle's will has finally been validated by the Ministry's legal offices only a few hours ago, and official transference of ownership shall be forthcoming."

Narrowing his eyes in scrutiny, the Dark Lord stared at his follower. "It shall matter naught if you cannot bring him under control."

"Ah, I bring news on that front as well, my Lord," Malfoy nodded. "If he is anything, Driscoll Shepherd is utterly devoted to his only child – my goddaughter, Adelana. Beyond allowing her to attend school, he has scarcely allowed the girl out of his sight since my darling sister passed twelve years ago."

The tyrant rubbed his chin pensively as he claimed a seat. "And just how do you propose we go about removing her from said sight? Are you suggesting the kidnap of your own niece and goddaughter, Lucius?"

"Not entirely," he smirked while crossing his arms behind his back. "What I had considered was far subtler in its undertaking."

"A subtle kidnapping," the evil wizard repeated in amusement. "Oh, _do_ go on."

Lucius dipped his head. "Well, as you know, there has recently been talk of an abominable Marriage Law –"

"Unless you've also devised a subtle method for removing three-fourths of the Wizengamot, it will be far more than talk."

"Quite right, my Lord," he grimaced. "As I was saying, Driscoll is quite beside himself upon learning of the accursed bill. He is adamant – and rightly so – not to allow his precious Adelana to become breeding stock for some filthy muggle."

Voldemort sighed, adjusting his position in the chair. "And you assume that I will waste the effort to have her excluded from the law as a favor to her father?"

"Of course I would not ask your Lordship for such an undertaking," the blonde assured. "I, myself, have discovered a loophole for my Draco, which I could suggest be exploited for her sake as well."

At the tyrant's gesturing, he explained further. "It seems that an exception to the law shall be made for any betrothal contracts filed prior to the law's passing. Those with contracts already in place shall not be subject to either the timeline or the… impurity requirements. Draco will marry relatively soon to keep the Greengrass family sympathetic to our cause, but if we find her a suitable fiancée, the girl may wait without threat of Ministry interference until she has completed her schooling."

"The girl is how old?"

Lucius shifted his footing. "My goddaughter is but sixteen, my Lord. In the matter of a few weeks, she shall reach her majority and complete her sixth year."

The dark wizard's red eyes flashed as he leaned forward. "Her _sixth_ year? You expect me to wait MORE THAN A _YEAR_ to bring the _Daily_ _Prophet_ under my influence?"

"My Lord," the aristocrat winced, "I do apologize, but it is the surest way to coax him into our hand. By passing that despicable act, the Ministry has signed its own death certificate in the eyes of the _Prophet_. Public sentiment will be against the current regime without much convincing on our part, and suspicion will undoubtedly fall upon Dumbledore as a result of his pandering for tolerance of muggles and mudbloods.

"And if I may be so bold, my Lord," he continued, swallowing slowly as he noted a pale finger twitching upon the yew wand, "the time will allow us to gradually capture public support now that your return has been confirmed. If we make it obvious that we have taken hold of the news too soon, they will be hesitant to accept anything written and will look back to the Ministry or worse, the old fool, for guidance."

For several tense seconds, Malfoy stood rigidly as the Dark Lord stared him down. Eventually, the wizard averted his snakelike gaze. "And this… suitable fiancée we are to find? I imagine he must appear to meet the father's approval, but ultimately have our best interests at heart."

"Yes, my Lord," Lucius nodded, his relief palpable.

"And he shall have to convince the girl as well that he is a considerate man, but also have the capacity to control her by any means necessary."

"Yes, my Lord."

"And _I_ must trust him extensively to stake so much time and effort upon him."

He swallowed and then nodded. "Indeed, my Lord."

"Furthermore, he must be unattached, gainfully employed, financially stable, unincarcerated, mentally sound, and in good standing with the Ministry."

"Yes," the blonde stated slowly.

Voldemort again fixed his dangerous gaze upon his face. "And just _where_ exactly did you believe we would find such a wizard?"

When it became obvious that the pureblood aristocrat was finally without an answer, the tyrant snarled and slashed his wand, bringing the younger Slytherin to his knees with a brief round of the _Cruciatus_. As Malfoy sputtered upon the floor, the serpent-like dictator pensively stared into space while he pondered their quandary. A long moment later, his red eyes again fixed themselves upon his trusted follower. "Tell me, Lucius – is it true that you are in possession of the Prince estate?"

"It is, my Lord," he coughed, pulling himself to his feet. "Marsden Prince was unable to pay his debts, and my father claimed what was left in lieu of payment."

The Dark Lord waved his hand dismissively. "You will release it."

"My Lord?" the pureblood asked in shock.

Narrowing his eyes into slits, Voldemort leaned forward. "You, Lucius, will release the Prince estate, in its entirety, to Severus, the rightful heir, at your earliest convenience, and absolve any debt remaining on his grandfather's accounts. Is that clear?"

Looking as though he had been asked to swallow a handful of glass, Malfoy cleared his throat. "My Lord, I have nothing but respect for Severus – he is Draco's godfather, after all – but he will undoubtedly detest this –"

"_You_ shall concern yourself _only_ with convincing Shepherd of his superior qualities!" Voldemort interrupted. "Leave Severus to me."


	2. An Unexpected Engagement

**A/N: Had this chapter typed up already, so I can post something before I venture out on the icy roads home today. I will work to see how soon I can get something posted for Bound to Him. If not before Xmas: "Merry Christmas!"**

**Thanks for the reviews thus far, and hope to hear more!**

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**Chapter 2: An Unexpected Engagement**

"Oh, Severus!"

The Potions Master groaned quietly as he caught sight of the Deputy Headmistress lying in wait across from the staffroom entrance.

"I do hope you're prepared to discuss the Leaving Feast festivities this time," McGonagall smirked. "We've yet to hear your nominee for Most Promising in Potions, and we're anxiously waiting."

"Of course, _you_ are," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "_I_, however, cannot, with good conscience, nominate any individual while there are still items left to be marked."

"Of course, you can't," she chuckled. "Though, if one were to assume based upon how things currently sit in your gradebook –"

"If one were to assume, they would be making an assumption," Snape sneered, stepping past her. "I do not base student awards on assumptions."

Minerva followed him closely. "One could argue that the award in and of itself is an assumption. Who is to say that high academic achievement necessarily correlates with success in the field, hmm?"

"I should think it might be more fair to limit the number of awards a particular student can be awarded," he grumbled, yanking open the door. "Say to one."

"You wouldn't be nearly this put out if Mr. Malfoy was the highest-scoring student in your course," she countered smugly. "Put it off until the bitter end if you must, Severus, but Miss Granger shall still come out on top."

The Slytherin Head planned to offer a retort, but forgot it immediately when a familiar burn shot across his arm. Mistaking the cause of his grimace, his elder colleague snorted softly and shook her head. "Ever so dramatic, Severus."

As the witch sauntered past him into the room, he grit his teeth at the continuing pain and slapped his right hand over his left forearm. Keeping a calm exterior, his eyes quickly shot to the head of the table where Dumbledore was chuckling as he spoke to Filius.

When the elder's gaze caught his spy's, however, his expression sobered slightly. "Oh, Severus! I was hoping you might agree to run that errand for me just now. You may find me upon your return and I shall discuss any developments with you then."

"As you wish, Headmaster," Severus replied before sweeping out of the room.

Wasting no time, the wizard cast a Notice-Me-Not charm before rushing out of the castle and stealing across the grounds. After arriving at a usually unseen iron gate a hundred yards removed from the main gate, he stepped out of the enclosure of the wards and, touching the tip of his wand into the flesh of his Dark Mark, disappeared into a thin trail of black smoke.

Half a second later, he appeared hundreds of miles away in a lavishly decorated drawing room.

"Ah, Severus," a smooth voice drawled. "As punctual as you ever are."

A cold, hissing laugh followed. "Lucius, do give our friend a respite. Surely, he does the best he can to respond without attracting undue attention."

"Of course, my Lord," Snape agreed with bowed head. "It is with great regret that I am often tardy."

"Pay him no mind, my friend," Voldemort grinned, "for Lucius is merely envious of the fact that should his plan come to fruition, it shall only be due to your own skill and performance."

The dark-haired wizard lifted one eyebrow as he glanced toward his scowling friend.

"Should it fail, however," the Dark Lord warned, "you both shall reap the consequences."

"Yes, my Lord," they replied in unison as his red eyes swept between them.

"Very well, then, Lucius – carry on," he leered. "Oh, and Severus – do not disappoint me."

With no further word, the tyrant disappeared, leaving the two men alone in the room. Satisfied that the Dark Lord would not make a sudden return, Snape spun toward the blonde aristocrat to see him in the midst of pouring two measures of brandy. "Lucius?"

The older man smiled as he offered him one of the glasses. "Shall we have a toast?"

"To what exactly?" Severus asked warily.

"To your eternal bliss."

"My what?" he coughed.

A coy smirk graced Malfoy's face as a house-elf appeared with a soft crack. "Master Malfoy, Master Shepherd be waiting in –"

"Well, show him in, you worthless lump!" he snapped.

"Yes, Master!" the elf bowed before disappearing. A moment later, a knock sounded upon the drawing room door.

"Follow my lead, Severus," he murmured quietly before raising his voice. "Do come in!"

As the door opened, a somewhat stocky man in grey robes that matched his hair slipped into the room.

"Ah, Driscoll," Lucius greeted cheerfully. "We've been eagerly awaiting your arrival. As I'm sure you're aware, this is Severus Snape, Draco's godfather. Severus, if you remember, this is my late sister's husband, Driscoll Shepherd."

"How do you do?" Shepherd murmured, heartily shaking his hand.

"Well, thank you," Severus managed, cognizant of his friend's eyes staring at him in warning. "And yourself?"

"Admittedly, I've been better," the elder man sighed.

Lucius chuckled softly as he directed them both to the chairs nearest the fireplace. After handing his brother-in-law a drink as well, the blonde claimed his own seat and gracefully draped one leg over the other. "Well, shall we discuss how we're going to improve your situation?"

"Sack the whole lot of them at the Ministry?" Driscoll sighed before taking a long sip of brandy.

"In due time, my friend," he grinned. "In the meantime, however…"

The grey-haired man nodded and then fixed his gaze steadily upon Snape. While swallowing his booze, he pinched his eyes in consideration and then cleared his throat. "Severus – may I call you Severus?"

"You may," the professor stated as he caught sight of Malfoy subtly nodding.

"Alright then, Severus," Shepherd muttered, "What do you think of my daughter?"

Though caught entirely off-guard by the question, the younger wizard kept his expression neutral. Thinking quickly of the usually quiet Ravenclaw who was among the top of his sixth-year Potions class, he responded, "I think she is a highly intelligent and capable witch."

The man puffed out his chest slightly at hearing his daughter's praise and then set down his glass upon an end table. "And do you find her… pretty?"

Severus flicked his gaze briefly toward his obviously-amused friend before shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He did not particularly enjoy the feeling that he was walking headlong into a trap. As he was well aware of the man's involvement with the _Daily Prophet_, he was exceptionally leery. "As a professor, I assure you I do not make it a point to ogle my students."

"Fair enough," Driscoll tilted his head. "But as a man?"

Begrudgingly, he considered the teen's wavy, blonde hair, pale eyes, and ivory complexion. Thankfully, the bulky school robes prevented him from possessing any further information. Hesitating a moment, he replied, "I would… consider her quite handsome, I suppose."

The other man nodded as though he had expected the response, and then leaned forward with a glint in his eye. "And which was it – her intelligence or her beauty – that attracted you to her?"

Snape's eyes widened at the question and he had just opened his mouth to respond when he was prevented from doing so.

"I assure you, Driscoll, he was taken entirely by surprise when I broached the subject with him," Lucius smirked. "Isn't that right, Severus?"

"Entirely by surprise," the younger wizard parroted blandly, raising an eyebrow at him. "In fact, for the longest time I had no idea to what you were referring. It was incredibly _irritating_ how you kept skirting around the issue."

The blonde shrugged casually. "You must admit, it is a rather delicate matter."

"However, when it is also a pressing matter, it would not do to waste time," Severus argued with a pointed glare, before dropping his voice. "Or my patience."

"Quite right, Lucius," Shepherd nodded, rubbing his forehead. "Lori always said you had a tendency to hide behind subtle remarks until someone else came to the same conclusion, so that the fault would lay with them should anything go pear-shaped."

Snape snorted in agreement while he watched the smug grin vanish from his friend's face.

"Yes, well, Loriana always was too bold," Lucius muttered over his glass. "A product of my father spoiling her, I'm certain."

"A father's prerogative _should_ be to indulge his daughter," his brother-in-law countered with a small smile. "Wouldn't you agree, Severus?"

"To an extent," the dark-haired man replied, leaning back in his chair. "I've found that overindulgence often comes with its own set of consequences."

"True, true," Driscoll mumbled quietly before returning to his earlier line of questioning. "So, now that you have had some time to reflect upon the idea, do you consider it a favorable proposition?"

"I would think him a complete dullard if he did not," Malfoy interrupted, having regained his amused smirk.

With a roll of his eyes, Snape took a small sip from his glass in an attempt to give himself more time to consider the implications and consequences of his response.

"So you do find her marriageable, then?" Shepherd pressed.

It took every ounce of self-control the professor had to keep from spewing brandy down the front of his robes.

"You do, don't you, Severus?" Lucius pressed. "I am certain I'll not be the only _disappointed_ party if you've managed to talk yourself out of it since last night."

The dark-haired wizard swallowed back the disgusted rage welling up inside of him and kept a clam façade as he ground out, "I do, yes."

"Well, with that –"

"Hold on, Lucius," Shepherd interrupted, leaning forward. "I have a few questions first."

"And, of course, Severus is more than willing to answer them," the blonde purred while the younger Slytherin grit his teeth.

The silver-headed man folded his arms to his chest. "You are a half-blood?"

"Ye—"

"On paper," Malfoy interrupted, drawing a questioning glance from his brother-in-law. "There is reason, however, to suspect his biological father may have been a member of the Wizarding world after all."

"What reason might that be?"

Snape hesitantly cleared his throat as he caught on to the meaning behind the blonde's insinuation. "My mother discovered she was with child _before_ she was cast out of the house, and she only married the Muggle a few months before my birth."

"Any indication then as to who may have sired you?" Driscoll questioned.

Grimacing, the professor crossed his arms. "I will not find myself reading about any of this in the _Prophet_, will I?"

"I assure you, this is strictly for my private knowledge," he replied. "You have my word that nothing will appear in print."

"Marsden Prince's sister, Mariella, was married to Alton Rosier," Lucius stated casually as he picked at his robes. "They were both residing at the Manor at the time, and old Alton always did have a wandering… _eye_."

While Severus stared at his friend in apprehension, the newsman grunted in agreement and moved on to his next question. "Would Adelana be allowed to attend university?"

"Should she choose to attend, yes," the younger wizard responded calmly, slowly pulling his gaze back to his interrogator.

"Will she work outside of the home?"

Snape leaned against the arm rest, envisioning himself choking the life out of the smug aristocrat to his right. "If that is something she wishes to do."

"You do not expect it of her?"

"Of course not."

"She would be well provided for in that event?"

The Slytherin Head nodded slowly. "I have a fair amount of funds stored away, and in addition to my salary, I regularly receive royalties from a number of potions in use at St. Mungo's."

"That is certainly impressive," Driscoll muttered with raised brows. "May I ask your current annual salary?"

"Just over 5000 galleons a year," he responded.

"Dear gods, man," Malfoy interjected. "Is that all they pay you?"

The dark-eyed man fixed a glare in his direction. "Might I remind you just who it was that set the salaries?"

"Well, I haven't been a school governor in half a decade," he argued with a shrug of his shoulders. "If they haven't seen fit to raise them in the meantime, it can hardly be my fault."

As Severus rolled his eyes, Lucius glanced back to the other man. "It should also be noted that he holds title to the Prince estate."

"Really?" Shepherd gasped; too distracted by his own surprise to notice his potential son-in-law's shocked expression. "I thought the Prince fortune had all been pissed away. No offense."

"None taken," the professor managed to mumble while he continued staring at Malfoy.

"Well, as it so happens, my father made a bit of an exaggeration with the actual details of the debt –"

"Must be a family trait."

The aristocrat sighed dramatically as he glanced at his friend. "Severus, I'm explaining how you managed to retain ownership of your family's estate. Unless you would care to tell the story yourself?"

Clearing his throat, the man shook his head. "No, no. You're going to make it far more glorious than I ever would."

"Indeed," Lucius sneered. "He's quite humble… rather annoying come to think of it."

"Humility is an honorable trait in a man," Driscoll stated.

"Is it?" the blonde asked dismissively. "Anyway, when Father passed, I took it upon myself to examine the records of his seizures. I noticed then that the amount owed was hardly substantial, so I mentioned the figure to Severus shortly thereafter, and he's set aside a small portion of his salary since then to settle the account. Of course, Narcissa could not bear to give up the chateau in France, but Severus was gracious enough to sell the property to me –"

"For a handsome price," Snape interrupted suggestively.

"Depends on your perspective, I suppose," Malfoy smirked. "I found it a rather modest sum myself."

With a bitter sigh, the Potions Master drained the remnants of his drink.

"There are five other properties attached to the Prince estate, however," the man continued, "so should our dear Adelana manage to burn through the contents of his vaults, I would be more than willing to pay market value for any of them. Furthermore, I imagine that between you and I, her dowry shall be substantial enough to keep her content for some time."

Shepherd pursed his lips as he contemplated the information. "Would it be possible to tour the main estate?"

"At some point in the future, it would be," Snape replied before the other wizard could. "You see, for all his boasting of generosity, Lucius has been taking his time in actually turning over said properties."

The grey-haired man smirked briefly. "Very well, then. There will be elves staffing your manor? Or will Adelana be expected to maintain it herself?"

"I've made arrangements to station two of my elves there as part of my contribution to her dowry," their host answered.

"Which elves?"

"Oh, what were their names?" Malfoy mumbled, tapping his fingers on the arm rest. After a moment, he barked, "Elf!"

Immediately a house-elf popped into the room. "What is it Master Malfoy needs from Kinsy?"

"Which of you idiots did I send to Prince Manor?"

"You be sending Dinty and Totsy, Master," the creature replied, before dutifully disappearing.

"Totsy, hmm? If I recall, Addie's quite partial to her."

"Is that so?" Lucius grinned. "How fortunate."

Driscoll snorted softly and then refixed his gaze on the dark-haired wizard. "And what are your expectations regarding children?"

Severus shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I… to be perfectly frank, I had not considered the issue. Eventually, I should desire an heir, but not in the immediate."

"You will live full time at the school?" his interrogator pressed.

"The summer months are mine to do with as I please," he responded. "During the school year, unfortunately, I have responsibilities that require my presence most evenings and weekends."

Shepherd rested his elbow against the chair. "And where would Adelana reside?"

After casting a quick glance in his friend's direction, Snape rolled his shoulders. "Wherever it is that she feels more comfortable."

"Spouses are allowed residence at Hogwarts?"

"They are, generally," he nodded slowly. "The Headmaster must grant approval, but that has never been an issue in the past."

"I see," the elder wizard murmured, rubbing the side of his face. For several long seconds, he eyed the man across from him, but said nothing else.

Lucius leaned forward in his chair and lowered his voice. "Driscoll, I cannot think of another man better qualified for –"

"I'm not disputing his qualifications!" he snapped, glaring at his brother-in-law. "It's the whole bloody thing of it! She is still a _child_! She isn't old enough to be anyone's _wife_!"

"Traditionally speaking, she is," the aristocrat countered. "But no one here is suggesting that she marry immediately. A contract must be in place, however, unless you wish to leave it up to the Ministry to decide both her spouse and wedding date. Adelana will be seventeen shortly, which means that she will be under the effect of any passed legislation."

"I know, I know," Shepherd growled, wiping a hand over his face. After blowing out a deep breath, he looked hesitantly toward the professor. "You do not expect to be wed within the year?"

Severus shook his head. "Absolutely not."

"He is in no rush," Malfoy sneered. "_You_ are the one who must act expediently."

After closing his eyes for a long moment, Driscoll nodded. "Alright… it must be done."

With a smug grin reappearing on his face, the blonde stood from his chair and crossed over to the Floo. "The two of you should determine a suitable time frame while I contact an official from the Marriage Office."

An uncomfortable silence settled between the two men while Lucius put a call into the Ministry of Magic. Eventually, Shepherd cleared his throat. "Do you have any preference, Professor?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Snape sighed, "Well, I would prefer not to wed a current student."

"I agree," the other wizard nodded. "But I should also not wish to delay much longer past her date of graduation lest those bastards decide to remove certain clauses from the law."

The Slytherin Head gave a half-hearted grunt of understanding as he glared at the floor.

"Her eighteenth birthday shall be at the outset of July," Driscoll continued, "so perhaps shortly after that would do."

"July is an exceptionally agreeable month for a wedding," Malfoy commented as he assisted an elderly man with large glasses through the fireplace.

"Oh, indeed it is!" the newcomer agreed, nodding vigorously.

With a smirk, Lucius added, "And you should consider yourself fortunate, Severus, to only have to remember one month for both birthday and anniversary."

"Indeed," the man ground out quietly as the Ministry worker cheerfully began introducing himself. "I cannot even begin to describe just how _fortunate_ I am."

Chuckling softly, the blonde clapped a hand on his younger friend's shoulder. Fighting the urge to break all of the man's fingers, Severus waited until he was certain that his soon-to-be father-in-law was busy filling out the necessary forms before physically jerking away from Lucius's grasp.

Before long, the dark-haired wizard found himself staring at a copy of a betrothal contract with his signature on the line reserved for the intended groom. Suddenly dealing with Minerva's boasting did not seem like such a horrid way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The only thing she wanted to force him to do was to admit the fact that Granger was the best of his seventh-year class; she was not demanding that he marry the chit.

Shortly after the Marriage officer left, Shepherd cleared his throat and then pushed out of his chair. "Well, I must be on my way, then. Lucius, I am grateful for your assistance in this matter, and Severus… I look forward to becoming better acquainted with you."

The two Slytherins stood as well and shook hands with him just before his departure. As the green flames died down into embers, the aristocrat refilled both of their glasses and then turned back to the room. As he accepted his drink with one hand, Snape delivered a swift punch below the waist with the other.

A loud groan and muffled expletive escaped the blonde's mouth as he doubled over and spilled his brandy into the carpet.

"Now then, Lucius," the wizard purred, reseating himself. "I do believe you owe me an explanation."

Coughing, the red-faced man slowly righted himself. "Damn it, Severus! Must you always resort to such muggle means?"

"Despite the bold-faced lie you sold the man, I _am_ half-muggle," he argued, gracefully draping one leg over the other. "Besides, it isn't as though Narcissa has any need for them."

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-X**

Growling loudly, Severus threw open the door to the Headmaster's office.

"Oh!" McGonagall cried, grabbing her chest as she narrowly avoided being hit by it. "You startled me, Severus! Is everything alright?"

"It most certainly is not," he snarled, pushing past her.

Widening his eyes at the spy's behavior, Dumbledore slowly rose from his chair and cleared his throat. "Minerva, if you would... I need a private word with Severus."

"Of course," she mumbled, eyeing her younger colleague with curiosity before exiting the room.

As the door clicked shut, the elderly wizard picked up his candy dish and held it out to the man. "Sherbet lemon?"

Snarling, Snape yanked the crystal bowl out of his hand and immediately threw it into the fireplace. Without another word, he slammed the betrothal contract onto the desk blotter and then snatched up a glass quill holder to toss across the grate as well.

Narrowing his gaze slightly, Albus reached for the parchment. At seeing the title of the document, his eyes flicked briefly to his employee in surprise. For a brief moment, the Slytherin stood silent; his chest heaving with angered breaths. A second later, however, he grabbed another victim. Peering over the rim of his half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore watched his large jar of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor beans sizzle into a fiery demise and then pulled open his bottom drawer. After withdrawing a glass figurine, he casually slid it within the younger man's reach.

Severus stared at what appeared to be a small sculpture of a wizard shoving his own wand up his derriere, and then snapped his eyes to the Headmaster.

"A Christmas gift from my brother," Dumbledore explained with a small shrug. "I've been looking for an excuse to dispose of it."

Without a word, the dark-haired man scooped it up and launched it at the back of the stone fireplace, shattering it into a few dozen pieces.

"Alright, enough. I only have so much set aside for replacing glassware, so have a seat, Severus," the Gryffindor sighed, sinking into his chair. When the younger wizard followed suit, he held up the contract. "I see that you have come to inform me that you are to be wed."

"To a sixteen-year-old girl!" Snape cried, slamming his finger into the armrest of his chair. "Not _only_ is she a child, but she is my _student_!"

Sighing, Albus nodded in understanding. "If it helps, you have agreed that there will be no union until those qualifiers are no longer valid."

"I assure you, it doesn't," he snapped, crossing his arms.

The old man rubbed his forehead. "No, I suppose it wouldn't. Do we know the reason for this?"

Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, Severus leaned against the back of his chair. "He wants the _Prophet_, and tasked Lucius with devising a plan to get it. Unfortunately, that plan involves going through the daughter by playing upon the threat of the Ministry's bastardized plan to end blood discrimination."

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore murmured tiredly, "I am afraid that I have not had any luck in dissuading any Wizengamot members from _that_ foolish endeavor. They're quite convinced that forcefully inundating the pureblood lines with those of supposedly lesser status will eliminate the issue and prevent any social schism that may arise from the Voldemort's return."

"Because they're all idiots," the Potions Master stated crossly. "They have each other's heads shoved so far up their arses, they can't see that the public is bound to revolt and play right into the Dark Lord's plan. Shepherd will undoubtedly keep his publication in check until it is officially put into law so as not to risk them altering the exceptions in any manner, but he will not hold back beyond that. The Ministry has, in effect, turned their wands on themselves."

The other wizard nodded slowly. "I agree. And once the current administration is out, the press will be critical in determining the successors. As a strategist, I must admit that Lucius's plan is certainly not without its merits."

"_You_ are not the one having a child bride thrust upon you," Severus snarled as he gestured toward the parchment in the elder's hands. "I find no merits there."

"Well, it appears you shall become a man of considerable wealth as a result of it," Albus shrugged. "There are many men who might find the size of her dowry to be of significant merit."

The younger man scowled darkly at him. "I do not consider myself amongst them."

"Certainly, you are not," the grey wizard smiled lightly, leaning forward. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "I do not think that there is anything to be done about this at present. You must tread carefully here, Severus."

"Obviously."

The Headmaster eyed his subordinate in concern and then cleared his throat. "It may be that this will never come to fruition. We have a year."

Snape balled his hands into fists and glared up at the ceiling. "And what if it does? The Dark Lord returned three years ago, and I see little headway made in the effort to permanently exterminate him."

Frowning, Dumbledore pushed the betrothal contract across the desk. "In order for something to exist, it does not necessarily mean it must be seen."

"I will believe it when I see it," the spy muttered beneath his breath.

"If we find ourselves no closer to a resolution in a year," the Headmaster capitulated, "we will reexamine the situation in greater depth. In the meantime, however, I cannot foresee an alternative that will not risk your position amongst the Death Eaters."

"Can the same be said about my position on staff?" Severus queried.

"I'm not entirely certain that it's the answer you wish to hear," Albus smirked, "but your teaching appointment shall not be affected by this even after the engagement is announced."

When his subordinate merely sighed, the elder rested against the back of his chair. "Besides, we may just discover that matrimony suits you."

"Bloody unlikely," the Slytherin mumbled, snatching the betrothal contract off of the desk as he stood. Shoving it into the interior pocket of his robes, he strode quickly toward the door.

"Severus," the Headmaster called, causing him to pause mid-stride. "Do remember that Miss Shepherd is not to blame for this situation. Riddle is undoubtedly expecting you to manipulate her into trusting you. I, however, feel that you should work to earn her affection as well."

Rolling his eyes, Snape turned to look over his shoulder. "Shall I start prepping the love potion now or wait until summer's end?"

Albus shook his head in mild amusement. "I said to earn it, Severus; not to steal it."

"And just how exactly do you suggest I go about doing that?" he scoffed.

The head wizard's eyes twinkled as he stated, "Well, I would assume that _Professor _Snape may not be the best equipped to accomplish that particular task."


	3. Letters from Home

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Letters from Home**

"Ugggghhh… _look_ at him! He's so bloody gorgeous."

Exhaling loudly, Adelana set down her potions textbook and looked up to see her cousin strutting around, regaling his fellow Slytherins with some tale. From the animated way he was gesturing, she suspected it had to do with some spat he had gotten into with Potter and his crew. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a piece of bacon and disappeared once more behind her book.

"You know," the girl seated beside her whined, "you've never invited me to any of the Malfoy parties."

"Latisha," she sighed without looking over her book. "I've told you before – it isn't my privilege to do so. Father and I often have to be invited ourselves."

"I may very well love him," her dark-haired friend suggesting, leaning closer to her. "You don't want to be the one standing in the way of our happy future, do you? Hmm, Addie?"

With another roll of her eyes, the blonde shook her head. "You aren't in love, and you certainly aren't his type."

"How do you know?" Latisha pressed.

"I just do."

"Okay, then what is his type?"

Adelana took in a slow breath before murmuring, "Whomever it is that Uncle Lucius deems worthy."

"What if he thinks –"

"He won't," she interrupted.

The brunette frowned and pulled down the edge of the book. "Why?"

"Just take my word for it."

"No – tell me!"

"Fine," Addie grunted, resting her book on the edge of the table. "For one, your family wealth is insignificant. Two, your great-grandfather was a muggle. And three, your father voiced support for Dumbledore in the paper. I could go on, but you've already hit the trifecta of undesirability as far as Uncle Lucius is concerned."

The other witch dropped her jaw in shock and then adopted an injured expression. "With a friend like you…"

"You asked."

"I guess so," Latisha mumbled, pushing about a bite of porridge. "And I suppose you did introduce me to Rita Skeeter and the members of Heartstring and Vine."

Nodding in agreement, the blonde attempted to flip the page, only to have the book pulled out of her hands. "Would you stop reading? Honestly, Addie – you're being such a stereotypical Ravenclaw."

"Yeah, well, Snape's implemented weekly reading examinations because the Gryffindors couldn't be bothered to do it without them," she grumbled. "I missed two answers last time because I didn't memorize the protocol, and I didn't exactly get a chance to read it last night like I planned to."

"I would imagine not," her friend giggled. "Not unless it was written on the underside of Michael's canopy."

"Shut up, Tish," she hissed, blushing. "We haven't done anything but kiss, and you know it."

Latisha grinned brightly. "Okay, on his tongue then."

"Gods, shut it," Adelana grumbled, snatching back her textbook. "I only have an hour before Potions."

"Oh." The other girl sobered immediately. "Speaking of the Great Git, he looks exceptionally wanker-ish today. I don't envy you."

Groaning, the blonde raised her head to look up at the Head Table where the man in question was attempting to glare a hole through the bottom of his bowl. Without warning, the professor's dark eyes snapped up and locked onto her soft grey ones. The young witch quickly ducked her head and donned a grimace. "Merlin, he just made eye contact. I didn't mean to, I swear."

"Oh, you're in for it now," Latisha mumbled, reaching over to prop open the textbook. "Here. Memorize the captions, too."

With a nod, Adelana hurriedly began re-reading the assigned pages. Before long, she was distracted again by her friend's loud whisper.

"Merlin! How did she find them this time? I hid them in the bloody Restricted Section! Nearly got caught by Pince while I was at it, too."

Adelana's gaze drifted up to watch Luna Lovegood floating absently toward the end of the table with her large radish earrings swinging from her ears. "You're still doing that? Honestly, Tish.

"Oh," Latisha crowed in mock surprise, "look who's suddenly become all high and mighty. Aspiring to Head Girl, are we?"

"Gods, no," the blonde shuddered. "I was just wondering, how many times can you hide her things before it becomes monotonous? And she really isn't _that_ bad."

"You do realize that her father is _your_ father's competitor, right?"

"_The Quibbler_?" the witch murmured in disbelief. "Please. Don't make me laugh."

"You know, their subscription base has doubled this past year."

Addie raised one eyebrow at her friend. "Is that so?"

"Mmm-hmm," the brunette nodded matter-of-factly. "They're up to twelve now."

A loud laugh escaped the newsman's daughter, attracting the attention of several of her housemates. Blushing, she covered her mouth while the owls arrived with the morning post.

"Shhh," Tish whispered, pulling on her arm. "Snape's staring at you. You'll get in trouble."

"It'd be your fault," Adelana mumbled, dabbing at her eyes before picking up the letter that had dropped in front of her. Recognizing her father's handwriting, she quickly broke open the seal and then withdrew the folded piece of parchment from the envelope.

**_My darling Addie…_**

A smile crossed her face as she read his opening paragraph. It had been months since she had last seen him, and she was looking forward to returning home for the summer. Her birthday was in three weeks, and he had promised that he and her godparents were planning a party as extravagant as Draco's had been the year prior.

**_…. As I have not had a letter from you regarding the matter, I can only assume that you have not yet heard. Your cousin has entered into a betrothal and will wed by summer's end…_**

"You're out of luck, Tish," she smirked, glancing up at her friend. "Draco's engaged."

"Piss," the brunette grumbled, tossing down a half-eaten piece of toast. "Who's the tart?"

"Greengrass."

"Which one?" Latisha asked, flicking her eyes between the two Slytherin sisters.

Adelana snorted quietly and rolled her eyes. "Daphne – the only one old enough to marry. Honestly, Astoria's only a fifth-year."

As her friend began muttering under her breath, the blonde returned to her letter.

**_… I do not wish to upset you, my child, but your uncle and I have been considering your own prospects…_**

"What?" she gasped; the smile vanishing from her face. Though she gripped the parchment with both hands, they had begun to shake, making it hard to read his cramped writing. Her heart was pounding and she held her breath as she reached the end of the paragraph.

**_… On your behalf, I have offered a contract of betrothal, which has graciously been accepted…_**

"No."

**_… by Severus Snape._**

The girl sat frozen in her seat as she stared at the name. Time seemed to come to standstill, and she desperately fought the urge to look toward the front of the Great Hall. She knew that he was watching her; she could feel his gaze upon her. As tears began forming in her unblinking eyes, she sucked in a ragged breath and then launched backwards off of the bench. Snatching up her bag, she sprinted from the room, not bothering to respond to her friend's shout of concern.

She did not stop running until she had reached the Owlery. Sinking down to the floor just inside of the archway, Adelana stared down at the letter and read it through three more times. When she was no longer convinced that she had misread it, she tossed it to the floor and yanked open her bag. Jerkily, she produced a piece of parchment, a slightly bent quill, and her portable inkwell.

The witch blinked back tears as she hurriedly scratched out a note to her father, demanding an explanation and begging him to say that it had been a terrible attempt at humor. Rolling it up haphazardly, she scrambled to her feet and rushed over to the roost where her Little Owl was watching her with interest.

"Athene," she murmured, "take this to Papa, and fly as fast as you can. Make him respond immediately."

Giving a high-pitched hoot, the bird seized the parchment in her talons and gracefully swooped through the open window.

As the muffled sound of chimes filled the air, Adelana glanced back to her book bag. She was late for class. The thought caused a slight twitch in her stomach, but it was replaced by something far worse when she considered just whose class it was. There was absolutely no chance that she was going to sit Potions until her father clarified that it was nothing more than a poorly-executed joke.

Biting down on her bottom lip, she picked up her bag and the letter that had ruined her morning. With a heavy heart, the young witch slowly picked her way back to Ravenclaw Tower.

It had to be a hoax.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Several hours later, Adelana lay curled up on her bed while she stared blankly at the stone wall. Her father's reply, which had arrived some time earlier, sat slightly crumpled near her pillow. She had read it so many times that she had committed it to memory.

**_Darling,_**

**_It is with great regret that I cannot do as you request. I assure you that it was not a decision I came to lightly. Your godfather and I have only your best interests in mind. I do not feel comfortable in discussing the circumstances which necessitated these actions through the post. If you cannot wait the fortnight until you are home, I am certain Professor Snape will entertain your questions. He is, fortunately, there and is fully aware of the situation. _**

**_Though I had not envisioned your betrothal occurring in such a manner, I must confess that I am not disappointed by the match. You will be Mistress of a sizeable estate and should want for little. Furthermore, I have never heard your uncle Lucius speak more highly of a wizard than he does Severus Snape. He did, after all, think enough of him to name him Draco's godfather. Though I myself have had limited interactions with the man, I can see that he is of impeccable character. _**

**_I highly suspect that the man is of much better disposition when out of the classroom. I plan to extend him several social invitations this summer, but perhaps you might make an effort to talk to him before the end of term._**

**_With all of my love,  
Papa_**

Sucking in a deep breath, Adelana crumpled the letter into a ball and then pulled her pillow over her face. She was engaged to be married... to her professor… to her least liked professor. And her father had not even consulted her before signing the contract.

"Addie, are you in here?"

The girl let out a groan at the sound of her friend's loud voice.

"Oh, _there_ you are!" Latisha stated, hopping onto the end of the bed. "Are you ill?"

"No."

"Well, you missed class all day," the brunette pressed. "And you left the table at breakfast so quickly that you forgot your book. Michael claimed that he was going to make you _earn_ it back, but when someone mentioned that you were probably sick, he gave it to me."

"Just put it somewhere, Tish, and go away."

There was a muffled thump as the book was dropped on the floor, and the mattress shifted as the other girl stood up and crossed over to her own bed. "Is your father alright?"

"Yes."

"Your dog die or something?"

Scowling, Adelana threw the pillow aside. "Merlin, would you just leave me alone?"

"Fine," her friend barked, crossing her arms. "I just thought I would check on you, but I'm sorry for caring. You can thank me later when you're not being such a wench for carrying your stupid book around all day so that Snape doesn't punish you even further for losing your textbook! Since you aren't sick, and no one died, I bet you've _already_ earned detention for missing his class!"

The blonde grimaced as Latisha stomped out of the room and slammed the door. She felt guilty for snapping at the girl, but on the other hand, she was in no mood to listen to her whining about Draco's engagement.

"Draco," she murmured; her eyes widening in realization. Her father had mentioned in his first letter that his decision to extend a contract to Snape had stemmed from her cousin's recent betrothal. If anyone at Hogwarts – beyond Snape himself – could explain it to her, it had to be him.

Wiping a hand over her eyes, the young witch scampered off of her bed and shoved the letter deep into the pocket of her robes. She grimaced at her bedraggled appearance in the mirror, but did little more than run a hand through her hair before hurrying out of the room.

It was nearly time for supper to be served in the Great Hall, and Draco was usually prompt in his arrival. If she wanted to avoid being seen by her alleged fiancée – which she undeniably did – she needed to catch him before the meal. Blindly, she flew down the corridors and staircases, narrowly avoiding running into half a dozen students, until reaching the ground floor. Upon seeing a set of familiar black robes, however, she came to an abrupt halt and ducked behind a statue near the Great Hall.

Adelana held her breath for several seconds, and when it was apparent that the Potions Master had not spotted her on his way toward the staff entrance, she sagged against the sculpture in relief. After slowly counting to ten, she darted out from her hiding place and moved down the corridor to hide in another alcove nearer to staircase from which the Slytherin students generally appeared.

A few minutes passed before she heard her cousin's boasts echoing off of the stairwell.

"Pssst," she hissed, leaning out into the corridor. When no one noticed her but Vincent Crabbe, who leered at her dumbly, the witch rolled her eyes and pushed the larger boy out of her way. Grabbing hold of Draco's arm, she yanked him out of the hallway and into the alcove.

"What the hell—oh, it's you," he stammered, regaining his balance. "Merlin, Addie, I nearly hexed your face off. Don't do that."

"I need to talk to you," the witch argued.

The Malfoy heir smirked as he waved off his crew and then leaned against the wall. "You know, you could have just used your voice like any respectable witch would."

"I didn't want to draw attention," she stated, folding her arms.

"So _that_ was your solution?" he laughed, gesturing back toward the hallway. "Abducting me in front of half a dozen witnesses? You're about as subtle as the Hogwarts Express, Addie."

"Just shut it," Adelana grumbled. "I have something important to discuss with you."

"Well, get on with it then," Draco sighed dramatically. "I haven't got all night, you know. Crabbe and Goyle are likely to eat an entire table's worth if they're given the time."

Rolling her eyes, she dug into her pocket and produced her crumpled letters. Pinching her lips together in disdain, she held them out to him.

Eyeing her suspiciously, the boy gingerly accepted the two pieces of parchment. After quickly skimming through them, he cleared his throat. "Well, that's… interesting."

"Interesting?" she hissed, snatching them back. "That certainly isn't the word _I_ would use. It's _disgusting_ and _disturbing_ and _revolting_ and –"

"Oi," he interrupted. "That's my godfather you're insulting right now. He may be a bit of a bastard, but he isn't some sort of sadistic pervert like you're making him out to be."

"No?" Adelana countered. "Then explain why _he_ – a man old enough to be my father, _and_ my professor, no less – wishes to marry _me_."

Draco snorted and ran his hand through his hair. "I'd wager he had no idea that he did until Father _discussed_ it with him."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Why would Uncle Lucius do that?"

"Beats the fuck outta me," the wizard shrugged.

The girl took in a deep breath as she shifted her weight. "But you – whatever reason he had for yours is the same –"

"I don't _know_ the reason," he hissed quietly, glancing about at the corridor before casting a number of privacy charms.

"How could you not?" she asked; her eyes wide. "What? Uncle Lucius just tells you to marry someone out of the blue, and you just go along with it without any asking any questions? Do you just do whatever he asks?"

"No," Draco scowled, leaning forward. "But when he begins the request by instructing me to bear in mind that I am not irreplaceable as far as the Malfoy fortune is concerned, I tend to keep my bloody mouth shut."

Her mouth dropped in shock. "This is all about money to you? You're sacrificing the chance for love and happiness–"

"I'm not _sacrificing_ a damn thing," he shook his head and grabbed hold of her wrists. "You're incredibly naïve, Addie. You always have been because your father worships the ground you walk on, but it's time to grow up now. Marrying for love is something only those of lesser status can afford, but for you and I, it's nothing more than a contract. So what if I have to marry some stuck up tart who'd rather shag you than me? All I have to do is put up with her long enough to produce an heir and I'll have money coming out of my arsehole. Love? Happiness? Who needs marriage for that? There isn't any fidelity clause in our contract."

Tears began welling up in her eyes as she stared at him. "I can't believe you."

The wizard shrugged nonchalantly. "It's just the way of it. It's like a business arrangement: you suffer another's presence and get rewarded for it. The more insufferable they are, the higher the reward you can negotiate for. Merlin, can you imagine how much Cornelius Bulstrode will have to shell out to marry off that troll of his?"

Pulling out of his grasp, she wiped her eyes and then turned toward the wall. "I can't marry _him_."

"Yes, you can," Draco sighed, moving to stand in front of her. "Look, I'm sorry if I've upset you, but it's just how it is."

"No," she murmured, shaking her head.

The boy let out another loud breath and put an arm around his younger cousin. "Addie, he's a decent man. He'll treat you well –"

The witch snorted in disbelief.

"No, he will," Malfoy replied. "Honestly, when I was in third year, that bitch Granger bloody punched me in the face, and do you know what his response was? He told me that if I had provoked her in any manner, I deserved whatever I got. He's also told me if he ever heard that I had raised a hand or wand against a witch, pureblood or not, when it wasn't a matter of self-defense or a declared duel, he would turn me inside out and hang me upside down from a Quidditch post."

Adelana took in a deep breath and slumped against the wall. "But he's so… unpleasant and miserable. How could I possibly spend the rest of my life with him?"

"You're taking this 'rest of your life' bit a bit too far," Draco murmured. "Honestly, all you have to do is consummate the marriage, pop out a brat or two – I can't imagine him wanting many children at all – and go on with your lives separately. You'll discretely find a man who'll make you happy, he'll take a few lovers, and the two of you will get along just fine. And considering he _is_ twice your age, you'll likely get to spend that much more time as a widow."

"You are such a berk," the girl groaned.

"And yet you still sought my opinion," he smirked, kicking away from the wall. "Listen, if you still insist on knowing why you have to marry Uncle Sev, then do what your father suggests and go talk to him. He's the only one who can answer that question right now, and maybe you'll see he isn't as unpleasant as you think he is. Now, are you coming to supper?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"Suit yourself," her cousin replied before disappearing down the corridor and into the Great Hall.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

As the sun set beyond the castle, Adelana finally clambered down from her perch in the Astronomy Tower. She had retreated there after her discussion with Draco, and had spent the past few hours thinking everything over. Her experiences with Snape had never been pleasant, but if her father, godfather, and Draco all vouched for him, he had to behave differently outside of the classroom.

A small part of her wanted to just be a good girl and do as she was told. Her father and godfather had never led her astray before, and they were only interested in her well-being. The rest of her, however, was not quite ready to accept it without question. She was a person who had a brain and could think for herself. She did not want to follow everyone else's directions for the rest of her life. She was capable of making her own decisions.

With that thought in mind, the witch raised her chin and marched down from the tower, passing Professor Sinistra on her way up to prepare the classroom. Feeling entirely confident in her decision, she continued on her trek until she reached a familiar dark wooden door.

Adelana took in one more steadying breath, cleared her throat, and then raised her hand to knock.


	4. Initial Discussions

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Initial Discussions**

"Oh, good evening, Miss Shepherd!" Professor Flitwick called merrily when she cracked open his door. "Please do come in and have a seat."

Adelana sighed as she claimed the chair in front of his desk. "Professor, I just wanted to apologize for missing class today, and I will accept any deduction of points –"

"Oh, nonsense!" the half-goblin interrupted, waving his hand. "Are you feeling a bit better, then? Miss Randle had said she thought you might have fallen ill."

"No, I'm not unwell… not exactly," she replied with a shake of her head. Shifting in her seat, she began fiddling with the fabric of her sleeves. "You see, I received a bit of news at breakfast that gave me quite a shock."

"Oh, dear," Flitwick murmured, leaning against his desk. "Not anything truly serious, I hope."

"You could say it is." The young witch took in a deep breath as she stared at the desk blotter. "I've received word that I am to be married."

His eyes brightened slightly at the statement. "Oh, I see!"

"To Professor Snape," she added, flicking her gaze to his face.

"_Oh_, I see," the Charms professor repeated in a much flatter tone. He paused for a long moment with his mouth half open before finally speaking. "You've been betrothed to Professor Snape – _our_ Professor Snape?"

She nodded twice in response, causing her Head of House to blow out a sudden gust of air and to rub his cheek. "Well, yes, I do see how that could produce quite the shock. Are you certain the claim is valid?"

"Yes," Adelana murmured with a nod. "I sent a query to my father this morning, and he assured me it was entirely true."

Flitwick blinked rapidly for several seconds before drawing in a long breath. "Well, that… well, it… well… one moment, if I may, Miss Shepherd."

The girl gave him a strained smile and followed him with her eyes as he hopped down from his chair and ambled over to the fireplace to place a Floo call. When the Headmaster stepped through the green flames a moment later, she shifted uncomfortably and averted her eyes toward the stone floor.

"Good evening, Miss Shepherd," the elder man greeted as he moved further into the room. "Filius, what seems to be the trouble?"

"Well, you see," the diminutive wizard began, "Miss Shepherd, here, has divulged to me that she has been betrothed –"

"To Professor Severus Snape," Dumbledore stated boldly, smiling when the witch looked up at him suddenly.

"So you knew already?" Flitwick surmised, donning an expression nearly as shocked as that of his pupil. "And it is true?"

The Headmaster nodded as he swept into the seat next to the student. "Yes, Severus has already informed me of the arrangement, and I have given it my blessing."

"Your blessing?" Addie repeated harshly, drowning out her Head of House's murmur of relief. "He's a professor, and I'm a student. Surely, there must be some issue with policy."

"Not at all!" the elder exclaimed with a twinkle in his eyes. "Of course, I will have to personally validate your markings in Potions to put to rest any questions that may arise regarding favoritism, but I do not foresee there being any concerns. Do not fret, Miss Shepherd, for you are not impinging upon any school policies."

"Seriously?" she stammered in disbelief.

Dumbledore nodded cheerfully and then leaned closer. "You know, I personally have been hoping Severus might finally decide to settle down and start a family. He is in need of a lovely witch with a good head on her shoulders, and I think the two of you will be quite well suited to one another. Wouldn't you agree, Filius?"

"Oh, yes," the Charms instructor nodded emphatically. "Most definitely. You would do him well, I think."

Adelana flicked her gaze between the two men in astonishment. The only thing holding her back from screeching in frustration were the years' worth of etiquette lessons that her godmother had provided for her.

"Have you found a chance to chat with Severus yet today?" the Headmaster asked calmly. "I imagine there must be things to be discussed."

The witch stared at him uncertainly for several seconds before shaking her head.

"Well, then," the man declared, rising from his chair and extending an arm toward the girl. "We shall pay a call on him and interrupt his evening."

Her eyes widened suddenly, and she pushed out of her chair. "Oh, I do not wish to –"

"You needn't worry," Dumbledore winked, "I am quite sure that he does not have anything more pressing at the moment."

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Ignoring the significant stack of student work needing to be marked and the list of potions Poppy needed brewed, Severus sat with his elbows on his desk, rubbing the tension from his forehead. While he tried to forget about the unopened bottle of firewhiskey stuffed in his bottom drawer, he was struggling to figure out how exactly he was going to approach his new fiancée. It had been impossible to miss her sudden departure from the Great Hall after the mail had been delivered and her subsequent absence from his class, and he had noticed her scrambling for a hiding place in his peripheral vision as he made his way to supper. It was quite clear that she was determined to avoid him at all costs, so she was likely to ignore any polite requests he sent her. Furthermore, he had no wish to approach her as a professor as he doubted it would gain him any favor.

"Ugh, fuck me," the man muttered under his breath, leaning back against his chair and closing his eyes. He was entirely at a loss as to what he should do. He was just about to give up and dig out the booze Minerva had coughed up after Slytherin shutout the Gryffindor Quidditch team, when his fireplace sprang to life.

"Ah, Severus," the Headmaster smiled. "Are you terribly busy?"

"Would it even give you pause if I were?" Snape asked, eyeing the floating head with exasperation.

The older wizard chuckled softly and then stepped through the connection. Spotting the blonde witch that accompanied him, the Slytherin immediately stood and removed the irritation from his countenance. "Miss Shepherd."

Swallowing nervously, Adelana shifted her gaze to the wall. Her lip curled in disgust upon noticing the number of jars containing specimens of Merlin only knew what.

"If you could spare a moment of your time, Severus," Dumbledore explained, "I believe Miss Shepherd might appreciate a word."

"Of course," he replied, dipping his head.

The elder nodded as he moved back toward the fireplace. "Then I shall bid you both good evening –"

"You're not staying?" the witch gasped. Her cheeks flushed immediately upon realizing that she had spoken out loud. Though she did not particularly care for the dotty, old Headmaster, she truly was not prepared to be alone with her intended.

Albus gave her a sympathetic smile and then winked. "I would not wish to intrude on a personal matter such as this. I will leave the two of you to your discussion. Good night."

"You've got to be kidding me," she hissed under her breath as she watched the bearded wizard disappear in a swirl of green flames.

Severus blinked at the hostility of her statement, but chose not to comment on it, knowing that she had not intended for it to be overheard. Instead, he gently cleared his throat to catch her attention. "Would you take a seat?"

With a raised eyebrow, Adelana turned to look at him and then at the rather crude wooden chair positioned in front of his desk. Lifting her nose in distaste, she silently moved toward it and sat down as gingerly as she could, lest there be a possibility of injuring herself on a splinter.

"Is there, erm, anything I can get you?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, thank you," she murmured, simultaneously disgusted by the thought of ingesting anything while in his dank office and unnerved by his uncharacteristically polite behavior toward her.

Snape stiffly claimed his own seat, and an awkward silence soon settled upon the room. While her eyes slowly explored the dark décor, his began an equally intense scrutiny of her person. He had known her for six years as her teacher – and had scattered recollections of her as a young child at certain Malfoy functions – but he had never really noticed her as an individual. A voice in the back of his head argued whether or not it was wise to do so at the present time as she would remain his student for some time, but another, slightly louder voice argued that, as her betrothed, he had every right to examine just what it was he had been shackled to for the rest of his life.

Though she bore her father's surname, it was not difficult to identify her mother's heritage. As a result of his having attended school a year behind Loriana Malfoy and spending a great deal of time at the manor when he was younger, Severus could plainly see the resemblance in many of her features. Soft tendrils of white blonde hair framed her round face after having escaped the somewhat thick plait which hung over her left shoulder and came to rest near the center of her chest. Her nose was slightly pointed, but far more delicate than his own, and he surmised that her clear complexion was more a result of high-priced elixirs and creams than it was of breeding. Her eyebrows were slightly darker than her hair, suggesting some influence from her father, and when she finally turned to look at him, he observed that the grey of her eyes was of a warmer shade than that of her cousin or uncle.

Noticing that she had narrowed her brows and pinched her lips together upon meeting his gaze, the Potions Master swallowed heavily and adjusted how he was sitting. "I must admit that I… am quite uncertain as to how we should proceed. Perhaps if you, Miss Shepherd, had anything in particular that you wished to discuss, we might start there."

Taking in a measured breath, Adelana maintained her rigid posture and eyed him with apprehension before finally responding. "I have a few questions, yes, Professor."

The man grimaced briefly at the use of his title and rested his forearms upon his desk as he reflected upon Albus's warning the day prior. "Perhaps, under these circumstances, we should dispense with the professional formalities?"

Her golden eyebrows rose a fraction as she clasped her hands together in her lap. "Alright. How should I refer to you, then? Or shall I not address you at all?"

A small smirk twitch upon his lips before he inhaled deeply. "If that is what you would prefer. Otherwise, I should think it appropriate for you to use my given name."

"Your –" Catching herself, the girl quickly closed her mouth and blinked away her shocked expression. "I see. Well, I do not mind in the least if you choose to continue addressing me as Miss Shepherd. Though, if you wish to do so, I suppose you may refer to me by my given name as well."

"Of course… Miss Shepherd," Severus replied. He had spent more than enough time under the guiding arm of Lucius Malfoy to understand the implication of her response. Truthfully, he was relieved that she wanted him to continue using the formality. "What is it you wished to ask?"

Addie shifted slightly in her seat and met his eyes. "I want to know why."

"Why," he repeated.

"Yes. Why _me_? Why _you_? Why _now_? Why _wasn't_ I consulted?"

The wizard frowned. "I am not certain as to how much…"

He trailed off as she leaned to the side in order to slip her hand in her pocket. Withdrawing two wrinkled pieces of parchment, she glanced at them briefly before shoving one back in her pocket and holding out the other to him. As he reached for it, she cleared her throat. "I want to know everything that you can tell me."

Snape blew out a quick breath as he skimmed through the letter from Driscoll Shepherd. Inwardly, he cringed at the claim that Lucius was only working on her behalf and again at the mention of his own 'impeccable character'. Sighing, he pushed the letter across the desk toward her and then rubbed his face. "Miss Shepherd, if I am to tell you, then I must have your word that what I am about to say shall not leave this room."

"Of course," she answered, leaning against the edge of the desk. "I wouldn't discuss it with anyone even if I had wanted to, which I assure you I don't."

Nodding, he met her pleading gaze with discomfort before explaining. "Approximately a month ago, your godfather was tipped off by someone at the Ministry who had knowledge of a radical piece of legislature being quietly passed through the Wizengamot. This particular act, when passed, will require any witch or wizard who is of marriageable age and who possesses eight magical great-grandparents to marry an individual of lesser blood status and to produce as many children as possible. Refusal to follow that would result in either imprisonment or expulsion from Wizarding Britain."

"My gods!" Adelana gasped, covering her mouth. "How can they do that? Why would they even?"

The man paused momentarily as he considered how much was safe to reveal. "With your father's involvement in the _Daily Prophet_, I would assume that you are fully aware of the current political status of our world, yes? Many in the Ministry believe there to be a very real threat of a serious conflict that will pit pureblood citizens against those of mixed heritage. Because of this, they are attempting to end blood discrimination in the only way they can foresee: passing an inane and foolish piece of legislation that could essentially see the disappearance of every pureblood line."

"But that's… but that's…" Angry tears pricked at her eyes as the young witch shook her head. "Why is no one fighting this?"

"Outside of the Wizengamot, there are only a handful of people aware of the proposed act," he replied. "Those of us who have learned of it have done what we can, but with its passage being an almost certainty, dissent could prove more dangerous at the moment. Your father, for instance, does not wish to jeopardize the existence of the loophole that your godfather has discovered and exploited on your and Draco's behalf."

"Loophole?" she whispered.

"If a betrothal is documented by the Ministry prior to the act's passage, those involved are not subject to its blood status or reproduction requirements." Severus rolled his shoulders as he looked to her horrified face. "That is why _you_ and why _now_. And I imagine that you were not consulted as your father was concerned that the information may have spread, making his efforts to protect you entirely futile."

Adelana blinked rapidly to beat back her tears and hung her head. "And you?"

The wizard snorted sadly under his breath. "I fit their criteria. I already knew of the legislation, I am known for my discretion, Lucius and I have been friends since we were in school together, I have an estate and steady employment, I am not immediately related to either the Malfoys or Shepherds, and I withstood your father's little interrogation. _That_ is why."

"Oh," she murmured oddly, turning to stare at the floor. After nearly a minute, she raised her head to meet his eyes. "When?"

He cleared his throat. "Your father and I have opted for next July after you have graduated."

"So I can finish school, then?" the girl asked. When he nodded, she gave a small sigh of relief and then rubbed her temple. "May I... may I see the contract?"

Snape raised his eyebrow in surprise, but nodded a moment later. Unwarding and pulling open his bottom drawer, he fished out the parchment from its filed location and handed it over to her.

Scanning through the document, she shuddered lightly upon noticing that his date of birth fell twenty-one and a half years before her own. Feeling his gaze settling on her once again, she straightened her posture and kept her attention solely on the contract in her hands. As the man had previously stated, the wedding ceremony was scheduled for the following July, though the actual date was left to be determined by the intended bride. Though she wished to roll her eyes, the girl supposed she should be grateful that they had allowed her control over any decisions regarding her marriage.

As far as she could see, there was no clause of fidelity included within the contract, which both pleased and disappointed her. As much as she wished to find love – even if it had to be outside of the marriage – a small part of her desired loyalty. However, she supposed that that was also a privilege not extended to her status. Similarly, there was no specification regarding children save for a single sentence declaring that the matter would be privately discussed at a later time. Flicking her eyes briefly toward her fiancée, Adelana pinched her lips together and returned to her reading. She was curious to know whether or not Draco had accurately predicted the man's intentions, though, frankly, she was afraid to hear the answer.

Upon reaching the end of the document, her breath caught in her throat as she read through the details of her dowry. Once their marriage was finalized, her father was to gift her husband with fifty thousand galleons. Her godfather had agreed to provide matching funds as well as to staff the new Snape household with a pair of house-elves.

A hundred thousand galleons at the outset, plus the remainder of her inheritance when her father eventually passed. Addie bit down on her bottom lip in an attempt to keep it from trembling. The only thing she could think about was Draco's callous comments regarding marriage. The more insufferable the witch, the more money you could receive for putting up with her. Realizing that she could not hold back her tears for much longer, she set the contract back on the desk and snatched up her father's letter.

"Thank you for… well, good night then," she ground out as she stood. Without a further word, the witch walked as quickly as she could to the door, hoping to get beyond it before crying.

Having stood upon her sudden departure, Severus slowly sank back into his chair and stared at his office door in bewilderment. Gingerly picking up the cast aside parchment, he briefly looked it over once more, uncertain as to what exactly had sent her over the edge. After a moment, he shook his head and stuffed the document back into the drawer.

With a low growl, he dug out the bottle of firewhiskey and conjured himself a glass.


	5. Wrong Impressions

**Chapter 5: Wrong Impressions**

The sound of loud giggling roused Adelana from her sleep. Blinking slowly, she rubbed her stinging eyes and sniffled to stem her runny nose. Her head felt like it weighed twice as much as the rest of her body, and as she pushed herself up from the mattress, she could feel several vertebrae click back into place.

As the woman's voice continued, she frowned and glanced about the room. She plainly remembered retreating to her bed, pulling the blue velvet curtains shut, and crying herself to sleep. What she could not remember, however, were her present surroundings. The bed was larger than the one on top of which she had fallen asleep, but the rest of the room appeared miserably dark and decrepit.

Sucking in an uncertain breath, the girl scrambled off of the bed and nearly tripped on the end of her robes. Glancing down, she noticed that she was dressed in a long, filmy white gown. A wedding dress, perhaps? Or a nightgown?

After running a hand through her tangled hair, she stumbled out of the bedroom and into the equally dark corridor. Grotesque paintings and sculptures leered out at her from the walls, making her skin crawl much the same way as it had when she was seven years old and her godfather had allowed her to tag along on a brief visit to Borgin and Burkes. Swallowing heavily, she continued following the sound of laughter that was echoing off of the stone walls.

Eventually a dim light appeared at the end of the hallway, and as she approached it, she could see it was spilling out from behind a door that stood ajar. Pushing it open one inch farther, she froze at the sight of her husband sitting at his desk with a half-naked, brunette woman seated upon his lap. As she watched, the other witch took a sip of champagne from the glass she held before setting it down amongst a pile of galleons on the desk, and then ran her tongue along the underside of his jaw.

"You _are_ a naughty wench, aren't you?" Snape murmured as he cupped the woman's breasts. "Out of bed, I see."

The brunette giggled drunkenly as the door opened wider, and Adelana gasped, knowing that she had been discovered.

"What have I told you about wandering the halls alone?" he asked, lazily turning his head to look at her while trailing his fingers along his lover's torso.

"I…I'm s-sorry," the girl stammered dumbly. "I didn't mean…"

"So that's the infamous Mrs. Snape, then, is it?" the woman smirked, eyeing her in disdain before collapsing against the wizard's chest and placing her hand against his cheek. "How terribly dreadful it must be for you, darling."

"Yes, well… she has had her uses," he muttered. "You must admit it's been quite lucrative."

As rich laughter poured out of the brunette's mouth, Severus cleared his throat. "Shouldn't you be minding the children, then?"

"The what?" she spluttered before spinning around and tearing out into the dark hallway. Throwing her weight against the next door, she felt her stomach leap into her throat as she found herself the target of several pairs of sad, dark eyes. Two little girls perched upon a bed with dolls clutched to their chests, a fussing babe was holding himself up by the bars of his crib, and a small boy sat in the middle of the room, attempting to open a jar.

"Love, don't touch that!" Addie cried, lurching forward to grab the child by his arm. She grimaced at the sight of something dead floating in the brine as she pried it out of his hands and then pulled him against her skirts.

"Mummy!" the boy screamed as thick tears streamed down his pink cheeks.

"Shhhh," she cooed. Picking up the child, she held him to her chest and attempted to comfort him. In doing so, she stepped back towards the door and managed to overhear pieces of her husband's hushed conversation.

"It shouldn't be terribly long… nearly to term now…"

Her eyes widening in horror, Adelana slowly looked down to see that her stomach had become exceptionally swollen.

"…last time… difficult… this one ought to do her in..."

"No!" she cried. "No, no, NO!"

With an agonized sob, Addie threw open her eyes and launched herself to her feet. Her chest heaving in fear, it took a minute for the young witch to recognize that she was staring at the backside of her bedcurtains in Ravenclaw Tower and that she was still clothed in her school robes.

"Oh gods," she whimpered, sinking back down to the mattress as she realized that it had all just been a horrible dream. Afraid to close her eyes, the girl snatched at her bed covers and pillows, tugging them all into place as a means of surrounding herself as she curled up against the headboard with tears rolling down her cheeks.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Shifting her weight to the other foot, Adelana peered nervously out from behind a large bust of Salazar Slytherin. As the passageway appeared in the wall across from her, she quickly ducked back behind the artwork.

"For Merlin's sake, Addie," came the smooth drawl. "You would make a terrible spy. Even Goyle would have spotted you, and I don't think his brain even turns on until halfway through lunch."

The young witch blew out a quick breath and stepped out to see her cousin leaning arrogantly against the wall. Upon seeing her face, however, the boy immediately stepped towards her. "My gods, Addie – what's wrong?"

"I can't do this," she cried, shaking her head. "I can't. I just can't."

"Keep it together for one bloody minute, would you?" With a sigh, Draco glanced about the area in front of the Slytherin entrance and then led her away toward a nearby storeroom. Pulling open the door, he guided her inside and then warded the door behind them. "Now, what the hell happened? Did you even talk to Uncle Sev like I told you to, or are you just working yourself into a tizzy over nothing?"

"I _talked_ to him," she hissed defensively, wrapping her arms about her waist.

"Well?" the wizard queried. "Did he behave himself? Or did he act like a nasty git again?"

She shook her head and stared at the floor. "No, he was… oddly polite, but…"

"But _what_?" he questioned, clearly exasperated. "If he was polite to you, I don't understand why you're standing outside my dormitory blubbering like some firstie who got lost on the staircases and wants to go home to Mummy."

Adelana whimpered loudly in response, hiding her face as she unintentionally thought of the little boy in her dream.

Her cousin watched in concerned shock as she crumpled into the wall. "Addie, just tell me what it is that's wrong."

"Do you know how much they're paying him?" she asked after lowering her hands.

The boy shook his head. "He actually _let_ you see the contract?"

"A hundred _thousand_ galleons," she spat. "_That's_ how much they're paying him."

Draco raised an eyebrow in surprise and let out a low whistle. "Wow, good for Uncle Sev! I'm only getting a tenth of that for Greengrass."

"_Good_ for Uncle Sev?" the witch repeated in disgust. "Good for _him_? Is _that_ what you meant when you said Uncle Lucius _discussed_ it with him? That he _bribed_ him to _take_ me?"

"Well, not exactly –"

"Is that what you _all_ think of me?" she hissed angrily, moving toward him. "That I'm just some naïve, undesirable cow that no one would want unless six digits are attached? That I'm not good for anything but lining pockets and popping out babies, and that once I've served my purpose, I'll hopefully get out of everyone's hair and die in childbirth like my mother did?"

His eyes wide as saucers, the young Malfoy vehemently shook his head. "Whoa, Addie! Of _course_ not! _No_ _one_ thinks that – no one could ever think that of you. _Ever_. Why would you even consider it?"

Her ire suddenly deflated at his response, and she ducked her head. "Because you said… you said you get paid more for insufferable witches… and they… he's getting paid that much... and –"

"Oh, shit, Addie," the boy murmured, slipping his arms around her shoulders. "I didn't mean you. Merlin, do you know how many students I've had to threaten with personal ruination over you? Granted, some of them weren't looking for anything more than a shag, but a fair number of them had more honorable ideas. Two of them I even had to have Father deal with because they fancied you so much."

"Really?" the witch sniffled, clutching onto his robes.

"Have I ever lied to you?" Draco asked, peering down at her.

Adelana nodded against his chest. "When you knocked over the canister of Floo powder in Uncle Lucius's study, you told him I did it."

"I said, 'lied _to_ you'," he argued. "Not '_about_ you'."

"You blew up my toy wand and blamed it on the house elf."

"Okay, one time," the boy admitted. "I was five, and you seriously shouldn't remember that."

"Three years ago, you ate my Easter chocolates and said it must have been Rolfe."

"Bloody hell," he protested. "Look, I've never lied to you about anything important! Now, why else do you think my godfather is a horrid, old monster?"

"He's more than twice my age," she mumbled.

"Yes, well, we knew that yesterday, didn't we?" he shrugged. "Besides, your father had thirty years on your mother, and I don't see you shouting on about him being some disgusting, old lecher."

The girl let out a deep sigh. "Snape didn't stipulate number of children in the contract."

"Well, did you ask him?" Draco questioned. "I could possibly see him wanting one or two. Three, maybe, if you managed to talk him into it. I mean, he isn't a Weasley."

"I dreamt I was on my fifth," she finally explained, "and that he told his… _lover,_ or whoever she was, that he wouldn't have to deal with me any longer because I probably wouldn't make it."

"Merlin," he exclaimed, shaking his head in horrified disbelief.

"I don't want to die," the witch whispered a moment later.

The Slytherin grimaced and briefly tightened his hold on her. "You're not going to die."

"Promise?"

Draco took in a deep breath and pulled away enough to look down at her. "Listen, Addie – I know you don't particularly care for him because you don't know him outside of class, but I do. He isn't like that, I promise. He would never intentionally cause you harm. I trust him, and so should you."

When she said nothing in reply, he cleared his throat. "Would you like me to talk to him for you?"

Biting her lip, Adelana nodded, wiping at her face as she stepped out of his grasp.

"Alright," her cousin sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I shall head over to his office now so that I can catch him before breakfast, and you… you should probably shower and change or something because you look like shite. Did you _sleep_ in your clothes, for Merlin's sake?"

"Thanks so much," she grumbled, straightening her robes.

"No offense," he shrugged. "But you know Mother would have kittens if she knew you went out in public like that."

A small smirk appeared on her face. "Of course she would."

Draco paused with one hand on the doorknob. "Are you going to pull yourself together for classes, or do I need to write Father for a supply of Mother's special calming draughts?"

"Those would put me in a coma," Addie argued, folding her arms. "But, yes. I will be fine."

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

"Sir, may I have a word?"

Severus glanced over his shoulder to see his godson walking toward him from the other end of the corridor. Raising one eyebrow, he silently moved back to his office and held open the door for the boy. After shutting the door, he cleared his throat. "Am I to be listening as your professor, Head of House, or godfather?"

"Which do you think?" Draco asked, flashing him a smirk.

Snorting under his breath, the Potions Master strode toward his desk. "For your sake, it had best be the latter. Your cheek may cost you otherwise."

"You've never taken points from me before; why start now?" the blonde asked smugly. He glanced at the old wooden chair for a moment before transfiguring it into an ornate leather wingback chair and sprawling across the seat.

"I suggest getting to the point, Mr. Malfoy," the dark-haired man cautioned, "before I am tempted to do just that."

"Alright," Draco sighed, sitting forward, "then I would respectfully request that you listen as my cousin-to-be."

The other wizard pinched his lips together as he claimed his seat. "I suppose you are here to interrogate me, as well, regarding my intentions towards Miss Shepherd?"

"Not exactly," the boy shrugged. "I assume they're as honorable as they're allowed to be. You're too straight-laced for anything else. That being said, I do have a bit of a concern regarding Addie."

Snape leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands in front of him. "Go on."

"To be perfectly frank, Uncle Sev… she's shit-scared." The blonde scratched the back of his head briefly before continuing. "You have to understand – she doesn't know you beyond the Nasty Git bit you parade around in for the rest of the Houses, and I think she's quite suspicious of your behavior towards her in private. Beyond that… well… she's been incredibly sheltered by her father."

"As opposed to yourself," his godfather smirked.

"Yes, well, we can't all have been raised by muggles," the pureblood sniffed haughtily, earning himself a cold glare. "My point is that Addie is rather… delicate. She needs to be handled carefully."

"I see."

"She's also quite sensitive," he added with hesitation, "which leads me to another item of discussion."

Grunting, the professor narrowed his eyes. "And what might that have to do with?"

With a grimace, Draco leaned against the armrest. "I _may_ have had something to do with part of it…"

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

As the sixth year class began to clear their workstations and head up to supper, Severus found his eyes again drifting toward the silent Ravenclaw who had thus far managed to avoid looking at him since she had left his office two nights prior. Deciding it was best to deal with the situation sooner rather than later, he cleared his throat as she made motions to leave. "Miss Shepherd, a word."

The girl only allowed her shoulders to slump by a small fraction as the remaining members of her class cast sympathetic looks in her direction. Once the room was vacant save for the two of them, she shouldered her bag and bravely approached his desk. "Yes, sir?"

Flicking his gaze to the door, the man ascertained that it was indeed closed and then leaned onto the podium. "I should not like to make it a habit to address personal issues while in the classroom, however, it appears that there is a small matter needing to be cleared up regarding our… betrothal."

Adelana stiffened slightly and tightened her grip on the strap of her book bag.

"Your dowry," he stated uncomfortably. "I played no part in determining its size. There were no negotiations regarding money. In fact, there were no negotiations on my end at all. I was wholly unaware of the amount that Lucius and your father were willing to bestow upon me, and I assure you, _that_ money shall only be given to ensure that I will be able to support you in the lifestyle that you have been accustomed to. There was some concern that I would not be able to do so for very long as what is left of my family's fortune is quite meager when compared to yours, and my salary as a professor could only be considered modest at best."

"Oh," she mumbled, dropping her eyes to the floor.

"Should you desire it, however, I can make an effort to involve you whenever an expenditure is required," he suggested. "That is, if you promise to not believe all of the rotten tripe that falls out of my idiot godson's mouth."

A small giggle escaped the young witch, and she bashfully met his gaze.

Snape adjusted his stance slightly before speaking again. "And as to the topic of children, I do not hold any particular desires. I did not wish to address it within the contract itself, as I thought it would be atrociously unfair to speak for you when you are the one who would bear the brunt of that decision. I would not be opposed to eventually producing an heir, but I shall not force the issue should you not be in agreement. Whether it be naught or ten, I leave that determination solely to you."

Her mouth parted in surprise at the declaration before she risked a small smile. "Well, it certainly won't be ten. I can promise you that much now."

A bit of light danced in his eyes as he smirked. "Madam, I cannot even attest to the amount of relief that brings me."

Though she kept her amused expression, her stomach twisted at his use of title. She had never been referred to as 'Madam' before, and it was a bit odd to consider that she would entirely fit the description before long. Clearing her throat, she adjusted the bag on her shoulder. "Thank you for telling me, and, well, I'm sorry for having thought different of you."

"It does not require an apology," Severus shook his head. "Though, should you have concerns in the future, I would appreciate if you would bring them to me. If you do not wish to visit my office, you may send them via owl."

Adelana blushed in embarrassment and then nodded. "I will do so. Thank you again."

He dipped his head in response and watched as she moved toward the classroom door. A mischievous grin crossed his face as he recalled another one of Draco's comments to him the morning prior. "One more thing, Miss Shepherd."

"Yes?" She turned around with one hand on the door.

"Five points from Ravenclaw for missing class without giving proper notice, and to make up for it, I expect five inches of parchment regarding the uses of moonstone in healing potions on my desk by this time next week." He paused for a moment to take in her blank expression and then pushed away from the lectern. "Were you under the impression that I would now hold you to any lower standards than the remainder of your classmates?"

The girl took in a deep breath and then shook her head. "No, sir, I did not. I will likely have the essay ready for you by Monday morning. Good evening, sir."

"Good evening, Miss Shepherd."


	6. Unwanted Advances

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Unwanted Advances**

"Hello, Addie."

Startling slightly, the witch looked up from her Potions book to see a boy with shaggy, brown hair standing beside her chair. "Oh, Michael. Hello."

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, leaning against the chair to read over her shoulder.

"Erm, yes. I suppose so," she murmured. It was not a lie; she had managed to sleep the past three nights without waking up in a cold sweat, and while she still tried to evade making eye contact with her fiancé, his presence at the Head Table had not again kept her out of the Great Hall.

"If I didn't know any better," Michael murmured, "I might think you were trying to dodge me. Are you? Have I done something wrong?"

"No, you haven't," the girl sighed, shaking her head. Though she wished she could reply similarly to his first question, she had no desire to lie to him. The truth was that she _had_ been avoiding him – and most everyone else, as well – because she was not prepared to inform him of her situation. She was not certain as to how they were to handle announcing the engagement, but since Professor Snape had yet to suggest making it public, she was damned sure not going to do it on her own.

That being said, however, Adelana knew that the boy standing beside her deserved some measure of explanation. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her book and met his eye. "What are you doing presently?"

"Well," he sighed, smirking. "I had been coming back to switch out textbooks before heading back to the stacks, though I could be convinced to take a brief study break."

Pressing her lips into a thin line, the blonde glanced about at the other occupants of the room. "I need to talk to you… in private."

"Oh, well… the rest of the blokes are studying in the library, so the room would be free," he suggested, gesturing toward the boys' dormitory.

"Yes, alright," she nodded, accepting his hand as she stood from the chair. As they made their way up to the empty dorm room, the witch kept her eyes fixed upon the floor and tried to ignore the twisting of her stomach. It was not that she was in love with Michael Corner, but she did like him and was worried that he would leave with injured feelings.

Once inside, Adelana gingerly sat upon the bed, set her textbook on the nightstand, and waited until the boy had latched the door and joined her to speak. "I really hope that you will not take this the wrong way because I truly wasn't even aware of it until Monday. Since then I've been trying to figure out how to tell you, but I don't think there's a better way to go about it."

"Okay?" he stated slowly.

"I… well, it turns out that I'm…" she trailed off for a moment before sucking in a deep breath and pushing through the statement. "My father has signed a betrothal contract on my behalf, and I am presently engaged to be married."

"Wow," Michael mumbled with wide eyes. "That must have been a shock."

"Oh, you have _no_ idea," she snorted under her breath. "And I'm truly sorry, but because of it, I cannot keep… doing whatever it is we are doing."

The brown-haired boy sighed sadly. "So there's a fidelity clause then?"

Stifling the urge to groan aloud, Addie shook her head. "No, there isn't, but it… I just wouldn't feel right about it."

"Do you love him?"

"Gods no," she blurted out with a grimace. "I hardly even… know anything about the man. He's… a great deal older than I am."

Corner tilted his head in curiosity. "How much older?"

"He's… thirty-eight," the girl replied after a moment of calculation.

"Well it could've been worse, right?" he shrugged. "Could've been like Dumbledore or Filch or someone."

Adelana winced at the suggestion and gave a soft laugh. "I suppose you're right. I should be grateful for that much, shouldn't I?"

"Just keeping you in perspective," the wizard teased, nudging her arm.

As her smile slowly vanished, she moved closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "So you aren't angry with me?"

Placing his arm about her waist, the boy shook his head. "I graduate in a few weeks so it probably would have come to an end then anyway. But we've had a good few months of fun, right?"

The witch giggled slightly and felt her cheeks flush. "I suppose we did, yes."

"Though if we wanted," he murmured into her hair, "we could have one last time, just to end it properly."

"Michael," she whined. "We shouldn't. I'm –"

"Incredibly stressed," Corner interrupted, stroking her hip and placing soft kisses down the side of her face. "We both are. You have this going on… and I have NEWTs going on. We could, you know… relieve a bit of tension for each other… just as friends."

"Michael…" It was becoming increasingly harder to refuse as the boy began suckling on her neck.

"Come on, Addie," he whispered. "We don't have to tell anyone. Your fiancé doesn't have to know."

Adelana hummed quietly as she closed her eyes in consideration. She really knew that she should strictly tell him no, but he was right. She had been completely wired the entire week and just wanted to relax and feel good for a moment. Letting out a deep breath, she turned into him and met his questioning gaze. "Just for a little while?"

"Of course," he replied. "I have to get back to studying."

"Alright," she sighed, slipping her hand behind his neck. "But only for like five minutes."

A large smile crossed his face as he quickly captured her lips with his own. After a few minutes of gentle kissing, he slowly guided her back against the mattress and maneuvered so that he was half on top of her. The witch quickly felt her mind going blank as she focused solely on exploring his mouth and running her fingers through his silky hair.

"You are so beautiful, Addie," he purred against her lips before kissing down her throat. The witch gasped in pleasure when his hand began massaging her breast through her clothes, and the boy slid his other hand down to cup her bottom. "You know he doesn't deserve you."

"Mmm," she groaned, not fully comprehending the statement as he ground the bulge in his pants against her. A small voice at the back of her head whispered that she should bring things to an end since she knew very well they had gone over her stated time limit. The rest of her body, however, was not so keen on that idea. They had gone that far in the past, and she supposed it would be okay to do so again.

But when she felt his hand move to the buttons of her blouse, the voice suddenly got quite a bit louder.

"Michael," she panted. "What—"

"Shhh…" he cooed, seizing control of her lips once more.

It took her a moment, but the witch finally managed to pull her mouth away from his roaming tongue. "Michael, I told you… before that I don't want –"

"It feels so much better without clothes in the way," the boy pressed. "Trust me, you'll enjoy it."

"N-no," Addie stated forcefully, attempting to push him away with one hand. Panic was steadily increasing in her system as she realized that her other arm was uselessly pinned beneath his weight, as was her wand. And when his fingers slowly trailed up the inside of her thigh beneath her skirt, she became even more desperate to get out from under him. "Michael, stop!"

"What?" Corner grunted against her neck as he flattened against her struggling body. "You want _him_ to be your first? You want to be taken by some old man you don't even know? I can do you a favor."

"Oh, gods," she squeaked, shoving against his chest again. "Get off of me!"

"Just relax, Addie. I won't hurt you. I'll make it feel good for you."

Growling, the girl tried in vain to bounce her weight up against his. Tears stung at her eyes as she threw her head to the side and attempted to think of anything else that she could do or say to prevent what was about to happen.

A spark of hope ignited within her as she spotted her Potions textbook on the bedside table. When she extended her free hand, she just barely touched it with her fingertips. Biting down on her lip in concentration, Adelana managed to tug it closer to her, and once it was fully within her grasp, she swung it hard against the side of the young wizard's head.

"Fuck!" Michael groaned, holding his head as he fell to the side.

Quickly, the girl freed her other arm and then scrambled out from under his frame. Delayed only momentarily by the door latch, she sprinted out of the room, down the spiraling staircase, and through the occupied common room. She did not stop running until she had reached the top of the Astronomy Tower on the other end of the castle. Once there, she immediately collapsed to the ground in a fit of sobs.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

"Addie? You up here?"

The witch's head snapped up at the sound of her cousin's voice and she quickly attempted to blink away any remnants of her tears.

"There you are," Draco muttered, stepping toward her. "Pansy told me she had seen you looking upset a while ago, and I've been looking for you for ages. Sodding Loony Lovegood had to tell me you were up here. Why the hell does _she_ know?"

"I don't know," Adelana shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't tell her."

The boy grunted softly and then folded his arms. "Alright, what foolish notion have you gotten in your head this time?"

"What?" she gasped.

"You were tearing through the halls an hour ago, weren't you?" he questioned with a tilt of his head. "Did my godfather actually say something idiotic this time, or did you just have another nightmare where he ate the children or something?"

"No!" the girl hissed, glaring up at him. "It doesn't have _anything_ to do with Snape!"

"Then what does it have to do with?" he asked in a slightly gentler tone. When she tried to deny anything was wrong, he let out an irritated breath and shook his head. "Look, I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened, and I'm not letting you leave either. And if we're both out here until curfew… well, Slytherin's hourglass isn't going to notice a few emeralds missing. Can Ravenclaw say the same?"

After a long moment of staring at his shoes, Adelana wrapped her arms around her legs and quietly summarized what had occurred.

"I'll fucking kill him," her cousin growled before disappearing back down the staircase.

"No," she murmured, climbing up from the stone floor as quickly as she could. Rushing after the boy, she called out to him in a panic. "Draco, no! Stop! Please!"

In addition to his brief head start, the wizard had longer legs than she did and was a quite significant distance ahead of her by the time she reached the third floor. Silently, she willed that Michael Corner was still upstairs in Ravenclaw Tower, but realizing that it was nearing the supper hour, she very much doubted it.

Wheezing slightly as she rounded a corner, the girl slowed her pace and grabbed her side as a stitch had begun to develop. She had lost sight of her cousin and knew that she was drawing the attention of several students in the hallway. Ignoring their concerned questions, she continued down the corridor in search of him.

A sudden burst of shouting echoing off of the stone walls indicated that he had found his intended target.

"Oh, gods," Addie whimpered as she pressed herself to go faster. As the commotion had caught the curiosity of all of the other students, she was further delayed by having to dart through the crowd. She could see that Draco had Michael pinned to the floor with his fist raised, but by the time she got near them, Michael was curled against the wall and the blonde was picking himself up from the ground as Potter and the Weasley boy stood with their wands pointed at him.

"Stop," she panted, grabbing hold of his arm as he made to draw his own wand.

It was too late, however, as Potter had already reacted to the slight motion, launching a minor slicing hex across the space.

A loud cry escaped the witch as the spell caught her arm.

"Shit, Addie!" Draco exclaimed, clutching onto her with one arm as she collapsed into him and drawing his wand with the other. "You're going to pay for that, Potter!"

"ENOUGH!"

Silence fell immediately upon the gathered crowd as Snape pushed his way through the onlookers. He hesitated half a second upon spotting his intended's injury, and then cleared his throat. "Malfoy, take Miss Shepherd to the infirmary. Miss Granger, Longbottom, escort Corner –"

"No," Adelana hissed, tugging away from her cousin as he attempted to do as instructed. "I'm fine."

"Granger, Longbottom - are you both _deaf_?" Severus snapped, "Corner, infirmary, now!"

As the two Gryffindors jumped and immediately moved to the boy's side, the professor stepped closer to the bickering cousins and snatched hold of the girl's arm.

"What are—"

"This needs to be treated," he stated, indicating the sizeable gash in her arm.

"I'm _not_ going to the Hospital Wing," she argued, flicking her eyes toward the threesome now headed down the hallway.

Snape pinched his lips into a thin line, but released his grip on her wrist. "Fine, then. Draco, take her to my office, and wait there. I will see to it in a moment."

"Yes, sir," his godson nodded, slipping his arm about the witch's shoulder.

As soon as they were on their way, the Slytherin Head folded his arms to his chest and glared menacingly at the crowd. "Anyone who isn't Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, or… Mr. Fizzleby and who hasn't cleared off in fifteen seconds will lose their House ten points!"

"M-me, sir?" a small, bespectacled boy croaked.

As the corridor became suddenly unoccupied, the professor stared down at the Hufflepuff first year. "Indeed. You, Mr. Fizzleby, are going to tell me exactly what transpired here."

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

Adelana jumped when the office door was thrown open by the angry Potions Master. Fearing that she would be in trouble for sitting in his personal chair, she made motions to stand.

"Sit back down," the man snapped, striding quickly toward the desk. Snatching up the wooden chair, he placed it at her left side and then dropped onto it. As he gingerly began examining the wound, he cast a glare at the blonde boy standing in the corner of the room. "You, Draco, have approximately three minutes to get your story together before the angry villagers arrive."

As the Malfoy heir looked suddenly sheepish, his cousin glanced over at him with a pleading gaze. She was concerned about the amount of trouble he would be in for attacking Michael, which had been why she had not wanted to tell him what had happened and why she had tried to stop him after she had. At the same time, however, she was even more afraid of what would occur if he were to explain his true motives for the attack. She, an engaged witch, had gone into another wizard's bedroom, willingly kissed him, and had allowed him to touch her. If Draco said anything, not only would the staff know what she had done, but so would her intended. He could tell her father and her uncle. He could refuse to marry her and negate the contract, leaving her at the mercy of the Ministry or of the other, less-trusted, unattached members of her godfather's social circle. A brief image of the stooping Mr. Borgin flashed through her mind, causing her to shiver.

"It is not as bad as it looks, Miss Shepherd," Severus muttered as he finished cleaning the wound.

"What?" she whispered, glancing at him.

He flicked his eyes up to hers briefly. "You are not going to lose your arm, so there is no need to hyperventilate. The scarring will be minimal."

"How minimal?" she asked quietly. She had not even thought about her injury, but a scar would undoubtedly raise questions. Even if she could produce a believable alternative explanation, her father would still be out for blood.

The dark-haired man sighed. "Unless you know to look for it, you won't see it."

As he began mumbling a charm beneath his breath, Adelana nodded in relief and then winced at the sensation of her skin pulling back together. Looking back to her cousin, she noticed that though his face bore no trace of emotion, his eyes betrayed that he was conflicted. She knew then that he was having similar thoughts to her own.

They both flinched when the office door slammed open to allow Professors Dumbledore, Flitwick, and McGonagall entry.

"Severus! How _dare_ you hide him away! Mr. Malfoy –"

"I have not _hidden_ anyone away, Minerva," the younger professor sneered, pulling open a drawer to locate a small vial of essence of dittany. "Had I done so, you would never find him. I have merely detained Mr. Malfoy in order to get his side of the story before you call for his crucifixion."

"We have grounds for his immediate expulsion," the elder witch continued. "Fighting on its own is a serious offense, but attacking an unarmed student!"

"As his Head of House, _I_ make the determination for expulsion," he argued, resting a hand on the girl's forearm when she suddenly tensed.

"Unless you are over-ruled by the Headmaster," Flitwick added pointedly.

Without looking up from his application of the dittany, the Slytherin Head spoke in a confident tone. "I won't be."

Wide-eyed, Adelana glanced at each of the professors in turn. Both McGonagall and Flitwick looked outraged, while Dumbledore appeared only pensive.

"And why not?" Minerva queried, looking between Snape and the Headmaster.

With a small growl, Severus tossed the vial back amongst the clutter of his drawer and slammed it shut. "Because _if_ he approves Mr. Malfoy's expulsion, he would similarly have to approve Potter's."

The Deputy Headmistress adopted a dangerous expression. "Potter was _only_ defending a fellow student from a brutal attack."

"I have seen you overlook far more _brutal_ incidents amongst students, _Minerva_," the spy snarled. "And I'm sure you're more than ready to clap him on the back for a job well done. All hail St. Potter, protector of rapists."

Adelana suddenly looked to him – her eyes wide with fear – while a collective gasp escaped the gathered staff members.

Meeting her frantic gaze, Severus let out an embittered breath before explaining. "The manner in which Mr. Malfoy pursued Mr. Corner suggests either that he is responsible for you being with child or for assaulting you. Given the status of your present appearance and a general impression of your personal character, Miss Shepherd, I rather suspect the latter."

He could see the silent question on her countenance and so he continued with his observations. "Your eyes are mildly bloodshot and puffy, indicating that you have been crying for some time. Your lips are swollen, your blouse has a small tear and is missing a button, your skirt is exceptionally wrinkled as though it had been pushed up, there is a bruise beginning to form on your arm, and there is a mark developing on your neck. Not to mention the fact that you were adamantly opposed to sharing an infirmary with him though you were both injured."

Whimpering slightly, the girl pressed her lips together, covered the spot on her neck with her hand, and dropped her head in shame.

"I assume from the fact that Mr. Malfoy attacked him by hand and not by wand, that Mr. Corner did not actually achieve his intended goal," the man stated softly. "Is that correct, Miss Shepherd?"

The blonde witch nodded slowly as tears again began welling up in her eyes.

After providing her with one of his handkerchiefs, Snape turned to face his ashen-faced colleagues. "Mr. Malfoy was _also_ only reacting to the assault of a fellow student and a close member of family at that, and _unlike_ Mr. Potter, _he_ did not injure an innocent party who had only stepped in to prevent the situation from escalating further."

"Well, I…"

"I guess I didn't…"

Interrupting their guilty ramblings, he cleared his throat. "Furthermore, I find myself indebted to Mr. Malfoy, for his quick reaction prevented myself from having to make the difficult decision of whether to react as a professional member of staff or as her betrothed."

"Her _what_?"

Severus raised one eyebrow at the Gryffindor Head's shocked expression and then flicked his eyes toward the Headmaster. "You didn't tell her?"

Calmly, Dumbledore turned toward his deputy. "Oh, by the way, Minerva – Severus has accepted a contract offered by Driscoll Shepherd on behalf of his daughter. They are set to marry next summer. They approached me separately with concerns regarding policy, but I have assured them both that they have my blessing."

"N-no policies on that, no," McGonagall muttered in disbelief. After wiping a hand over her face, she approached the desk and then gestured for her younger coworker to remove himself from the chair. Once he had begrudgingly done so, she sank into the surrendered seat and placed a comforting hand on the girl's arm. "Miss Shepherd, is Professor Snape correct in his assumptions?"

Adelana sniffled quietly before nodding.

"Well, then, Mr. Malfoy, I apologize for… jumping to conclusions," the woman stated, glancing at the silent boy standing uncomfortably next to his godfather, before turning her gaze toward her Ravenclaw colleague. "Filius?"

"No," the girl breathed, preventing her Head of House's response. With moist eyes she looked up at her Transfiguration professor and shook her head. "I don't want to get anyone expelled. Not Draco or Potter _or_ Michael."

"Miss Shepherd," Minerva sighed. "_You_ are not _getting_ anyone expelled. Mr. Corner's actions are his own and so are his consequences –"

"But Draco already…"

Severus frowned and folded his arms. "Are you suggesting that an easily-fixed broken nose is consequence enough?"

"Well, it's a bit more extensive than that," McGonagall mumbled at him over her shoulder, "but I agree."

Straightening in her chair, Adelana blinked away her tears and raised her chin. "It was partially my fault. I'm the one who asked to go somewhere private so that I could –"

"Addie!" Draco hissed, before being silenced with a glare from his Head of House.

"— tell him about the engagement, and I let him talk me into ending things properly, as he said," she sighed. "Only I thought he meant kissing, because that's all we've ever done."

"When you found out otherwise, did you ask him to stop?" Minerva asked.

"Yes."

"And did he?"

The girl took in a deep breath and shook her head. "No, but he was stressed out about NEWTs and –"

"Miss Shepherd, I assure you that wizards are perfectly capable of sitting those exams without raping anyone first."

"Severus," Dumbledore warned.

Adelana fiddled with the handkerchief in her lap as she looked at each of her professors in turn. "Please don't expel him. If you do, I know you have to document your reasoning. If my father finds out, he will _ruin_ him. Just give him detention or something, if you must, but I _don't_ want it to be public knowledge."

The staff members hesitantly looked at each other for a moment, until finally the Headmaster spoke. "Are you quite certain that you do not wish us to do anything more serious regarding Mr. Corner?"

"I am," she nodded. "Please."

"Very well, then," he murmured stiffly. "Filius, Minerva."

After casting concerned glances toward the girl, the three professors hesitantly exited the office.


	7. Reactions

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Reactions**

"So _what_ if Uncle Driscoll ruins him?" Draco grumbled, crossing his arms. "He fucking deserves it."

"He made a mistake," she argued.

"A _mistake_?" the boy repeated in surprise. "Addie, a mistake is when you add the wrong ingredient or call someone by the wrong name. Not when you –"

"Enough, Draco," Snape sighed as he rubbed his temples. "If you are certain that you are uninjured, go up to supper, and if the twits come jeering, keep your head down, your mouth shut, and your wand sheathed. Your father will have my head if you get expelled this close to graduation."

With an angry snort, the pureblood wizard stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.

Noticing the girl flinch, Severus let out a long sigh. After collecting the wooden chair, he returned it to its original position and then sat down on it once again. He could see that having the wide desk separating the two of them caused the witch to relax slightly.

A long moment passed in silence as he once again studied her. Oddly enough, he found it easier to do when she was not dressed in her school robes. For one thing, he could discern more about her shape than he had previously, which, given the current circumstance, probably was not the wisest thing to do. However, it did relieve him a bit to note that the witch was of some physical substance. She was unlikely to be considered overweight by many people, but neither was she as slender as her mother had been, for which Severus was grateful. He appreciated curves and did not particularly care for waifish creatures like Loriana Malfoy.

As the seconds ticked by, the man found himself questioning his godson's assessment of her. He did not doubt that she was terrified - _he_ was terrified, and he wasn't the one who had to marry his miserable self – but she did not appear to him to be nearly as delicate as Draco seemed to think she was. She visibly reacted to emotional trauma – as did most people who were not raised at Malfoy Manor – but when she did recover, her control was nearly immaculate. Even now, as she sat in his chair staring at the wall, her only real tell was the manner in which she toyed with his handkerchief.

Almost an ice queen, but not quite. His brief experience with her father indicated that the man likely displayed his emotions, which undoubtedly made him relatively easy for Lucius to manipulate. It was clearly not from Driscoll Shepherd that she learned restraint, but from her mother's side. And if there was anything he knew about the Malfoys, it was that there were always motives alternative to the one shared.

The chair squeaked slightly as he leaned backwards, eyeing her with consideration. "You don't actually care about his reputation, do you?"

"What?" she asked, turning her head in his direction.

"Mr. Corner," he clarified, crossing one leg over the other. "I don't think you _would_ really care if he were expelled and left without many prospects for future employment."

"I do," Adelana argued. After a moment, she shifted in her chair. "A little."

Resisting the urge to smirk, the man tilted his head. "Why save him from that then?"

The witch paused momentarily and then slowly trailed her finger along the edge of his desk. "What do you suppose Uncle Lucius would do were he to find out what happened to me?"

Severus raised an eyebrow at the question and hesitated at how to answer it. He had not immediately considered that aspect, but now that he had, he doubted anyone would ever find the boy's corpse were her godfather to be made aware of the situation.

"I am not wholly naïve to the sort of man he is," she stated casually when he took too long to respond. "It is one thing to allow his expulsion, but I am not prepared to do the same for his execution."

His eyes widened immediately in surprise. She most certainly did not fit her cousin's description. Clearing his throat, he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. "He may still discover it –"

"Only if _you_ tell him," she interrupted, meeting his eye before dropping her gaze to her lap.

"Draco may –"

"He won't." Addie smoothed her hand over a crease in her skirt. "I expect that Uncle Lucius tasked him with making sure that something like this doesn't happen, and he's already threatened once to have him replaced as sole heir."

"Only if your Aunt Narcissa becomes amenable to that," he smirked. "And _that_ would be a rather remarkable feat to accomplish."

The young witch shrugged. "Everyone has their price."

Taking in an uncertain breath, Snape watched as she traced a pattern on the armrest of the chair.

"For what it's worth, I _am_ sorry," she murmured, slowly raising her eyes to his, "but I am also willing to negotiate if necessary."

"Necessary for what?" he asked, folding his arms.

"I made a mistake," the girl stated plainly, "and I will not allow it to happen again. You have my word."

"Hold on," the wizard stated, sitting forward. "Are _you_… You are now concerned that I _won't_ marry you?"

Adelana nodded slowly and gave him a pained smile. "I know it sounds incredibly unbelievable, but… I recently was made aware of the fact that…that it…"

"It could have been worse?" he snorted.

"Please don't take offense," she whispered, leaning her arms on the desk. "Draco says that I can trust you, and I do not think he would say that for anyone else with whom my uncle associates."

The professor let out a deep sigh and rubbed the side of his head. "That is probably an accurate assumption."

Drawing in a shaky breath, the girl straightened in the chair and rested her hands in her lap. "If the money is not enough of an incentive… I am prepared to promise you… my purity on our wedding night."

His mouth parted in surprise, and it took him several seconds to recover. "Miss Shepherd, I do not require such a promise. I was not under any impression that you would be entirely uninvolved, but, if only for your own sake, I ask that you keep it discreet."

Giving a nod, the witch gracefully tucked her feet beneath her and leaned against the side of the chair. "I didn't tell him it was you. I haven't told anyone yet beyond Professor Flitwick."

"I suppose that is an issue left to be addressed," Severus sighed, attempting to pull his mind away from the previous item of discussion. "Now that Professor McGonagall knows, the entire staff will likely know by tomorrow afternoon. I can attempt to stem the flow of information at that point if you would like."

"Please," she nodded.

"It will come out eventually," he cautioned. "As the heiress to the _Daily Prophet_, you are not exactly low-profile."

"I know," she replied quietly. "But I would be grateful if we could wait until after the school year. I would like to finish my exams without everyone sticking their nose in my personal affairs."

The wizard nodded in understanding and then glanced up at the clock. "There is still time to make the meal if you –"

"I would rather not."

He exhaled loudly, realizing that she was probably not ready to sit at her House table. "Would you prefer to eat here?"

Addie wrinkled her nose in disgust as she glanced around at the décor. "I'm not hungry."

"Would you like tea?"

Sighing, the witch shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose I could manage that much."

After he had put in the order with the kitchens, she waited until he had reclaimed his seat to ask, "Do you honestly enjoy looking at all of this?"

Snape raised an eyebrow in question and then followed her hand as it gestured about the room. Adopting a smirk, he leaned back in his chair. "It does not bother me, and it comes with the added benefit that visitors do not like to stay long."

The blonde shifted uncomfortably and folded her arms as the tea service suddenly appeared on the desk. "You don't like to socialize?"

"I do not," he replied, reaching for the teapot. "I appreciate my privacy."

"I see," she murmured. "Does that mean that your home is similarly decorated?"

He shook his head while pouring two servings of the steaming liquid.

"Thank Merlin," she breathed before reaching for the nearest cup. "I would like to have some appetite for the rest of my life."

The man snickered quietly as he raised his own cup to his lips. "Well, I'm certain you will be able to change anything that is not to your liking as it appears that I will be coming into a great deal of money. We wouldn't want it lying around gathering dust, now would we?"

Adelana flashed him a brief smile before they settled into a long stretch of tense silence. When she had finished the last drop of her tea, she set the cup and saucer back upon the desk and stood from the chair. "I should be going. I still have homework to finish."

The Slytherin rose to his feet as she moved around the end of the desk toward the exit. "Would you prefer an escort?"

"No, I'm alright," she replied. Upon reaching the door, she paused and looked back to him. "Actually, sir, I may need some assistance in rescuing my Potions book, though."

"And why might that be?" he asked, tilting his head.

The witch blushed and shifted on her feet. "When he was… on top of me, I couldn't reach my wand, so I… I hit him with it. I wasn't really thinking clearly at the time, and I dropped it on the bed before I ran out of the room."

Severus took in a steadying breath and then summoned a house elf to retrieve the book from the boys' dormitory. Once the creature returned with it, he crossed toward the door and held it out to her. "Ten points to Ravenclaw."

"For what?" the girl gasped, surprised by having been awarded points instead of having them docked.

"For an exceptional use of course materials."

Her cheeks coloring further, Addie reached for the book and then clutched it to her chest. "Thank you, sir."

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

"Oh my gods, Addie!" Latisha cried as she stepped into their dormitory room and noticed the blonde curled up on the bed. "Are you alright? What happened? I heard that Draco beat up Michael, and that you got hurt trying to stop him!"

Her friend groaned quietly as she rolled over and pulled herself into a seated position. "I thought you weren't speaking to me."

"Well, that was before this happened!" the dark-haired witch explained, climbing onto the mattress. "Now spill."

Adelana let out a long breath as she considered how much was safe to tell her best friend. "You have to promise me that you won't say a word of this to anyone."

The girl's eyes widened in anticipation and she shifted to sit cross-legged. "I promise."

"Okay." After drawing the bedcurtains closed and casting a privacy charm, the newsman's daughter sat back against the headboard and wrapped her arms about her waist. "I was in the common room this afternoon, working on that essay Snape set for me, when Michael came up to me. I had to tell him that we couldn't keep messing around like we've been, so we went up to his room. He was good about it for a while, but then he convinced me that we should have one last time and wouldn't stop when I asked him to. He… he wanted me to let him… Well, anyway, he wouldn't get off of me, so I hit him with my book and ran."

"Oh my gods," Latisha gasped, scrambling forward to sit beside her friend. "Are you alright?"

Blinking back tears, the blonde nodded. "Draco made me tell him what happened and then said he was going to kill Michael. I tried to stop him, but Potter got there first. His aim wasn't that great, though, and he hit me instead of Draco."

"Merlin," her friend murmured. "I never thought… well, I mean, I knew he and Cho shagged a lot when they were together, but I didn't think he'd be like _that_."

"I know," Addie mumbled, leaning her head back. "I just feel so stupid."

"Have you told Flitwick?"

The witch gave a nod. "And McGonagall, _and_ Snape, _and_ Dumbledore. I _had_ to tell them to keep Draco from being expelled."

"Ugh, even Snape?" she groaned. "I'm so sorry, Addie."

"Actually, he was fairly decent about it," the blonde replied in a pensive tone. "He stood up for Draco, which I was grateful for, and… well, he seemed as though he was truly concerned about me. I think he was only frustrated with me when I asked them not to expel anyone, but then he even gave me points for using my book to hit Michael."

"You're kidding."

Adelana shook her head. "No, Draco says he gets upset about wizards who harm women."

"Well maybe he should take a look in the mirror for a bit," the dark-haired witch muttered.

Her friend frowned and crossed her arms. "He's never hexed or physically assaulted or propositioned you."

"Of course not, but –"

"Yelling at you and taking away points doesn't count," she snapped.

Latisha shrugged halfheartedly. "Well, it's still bloody rude."

"So is nearly blowing up your cauldron because you were busy flirting with Jason Samuels."

The girl rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Look at you getting all defensive about the Greasy Git. I never thought I'd see that."

"Stranger things have happened," Adelana muttered, moving toward the edge of the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"The bathroom," she responded grumpily as she pulled open the bedcurtains. "I need to shower."

"Oh, okay," her friend murmured, climbing off of the bed and stretching. "If you need to talk again or anything –"

"I'll be fine." Though she technically wished to speak to the girl about her present engagement, Addie was not certain it was the right time. She was not even sure how she felt about it anymore. Of course, she was angry that she was to be wed to a man that it appeared she barely knew, but given her present options, she could not find the hatred or intense fear that she had initially.

The witch paused on her way to the bathroom as she felt eyes upon her. Glancing up, she caught the dreamy gaze of Luna Lovegood, who was perched on her bed in the corner of the room.

"He'll find happiness with you," the odd girl stated with a tilt of her head, "wherever you may be."

"What?"

"Oi!" Latisha growled. "Nobody asked for your opinion, and frankly given what Michael just tried with her, it's downright offensive!"

Swallowing hesitantly, Adelana looked between her two roommates and then continued into the attached lavatory. After shutting the door behind her, she sank down to the floor and buried her face between her knees.

**X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X-x-X**

"Are there any other issues needing to be addressed?" Dumbledore asked. There was a twinkle in his eye as he glanced about the staffroom, allowing his gaze to rest briefly upon his Potions Master before shifting to his Deputy Headmistress.

With a smug grin on her face, Minerva crossed her arms and cleared her throat. "I believe Severus has some news to share with us."

The Order spy grumbled quietly and rolled his eyes.

"Well, go on, then," Pomona stated impatiently. "Minerva and Filius have been exchanging conspiratorial glances all day, and I'm feeling highly left out."

"I would have shared," Flitwick commented, "but we agreed it wasn't our place to do so."

"No, but it seems it is your place to force the sharing," Severus sighed, folding his arms. When it appeared that every set of eyes were fixed on him in anticipation, he took in a deep breath and glared at his Gryffindor counterpart. "I have accepted an offer of engagement and am set to marry next summer."

"Oh my!"

"That's wonderful!"

"Congratulations!"

"Damn."

Everyone turned to look toward Madam Hooch, who had slammed her hand against the table.

"Rolanda?" McGonagall asked. "Is something the matter?"

"Of course there is!" the flying instructor griped. "I now owe Poppy thirty-five galleons."

Narrowing his brow, Snape shifted his gaze to the self-satisfied Healer beaming from the corner of the room.

"I always knew you had it in you," the woman stated brightly. "I'm happy for you."

His scowl deepened. "You mean to tell me that you've been gambling on whether or not I would take a wife?"

"Something like that, yes."

Hooch snorted loudly and leaned back in her chair. "What she means is that we had a friendly wager going on whether or not your broom flies in the opposite direction."

His eyes widened as he ground out, "What?"

"Well, can you blame me?" the short witch shrugged. "What with the way you, Potter, and Black used to tear off after each other, I assumed there was something there."

"Not on my end, I assure you," the Slytherin growled.

"But that's what they all say, isn't it?" she argued.

Before he could adequately respond, Sprout leaned forward and cleared her throat. "Just who is the lucky witch who has won your heart?"

Drawing in an uncomfortable breath, Severus flicked his gaze to the Headmaster only to find the man smiling back at him. "That would be Miss Adelana Shepherd."

"Not _our_ Miss Shepherd?" Vector gasped, glancing toward Flitwick who nodded cheerfully. "But she's still a student."

"Which is exactly why we shall not marry until after her graduation."

Dumbledore cleared his throat gently. "It has already been determined that I will personally review the standings and marks of this year's sixth and next year's seventh year Potions class."

"And the matter of points?" Professor Sinistra asked with a tilt of her head.

Filius raised his pointer finger and addressed the Headmaster. "If I may, Albus – as representative for Ravenclaw House, I have no concerns about his discretion concerning points."

"If you are under the impression that I will be more likely to award her points," Snape cautioned, "I assure you, Filius, that will not be the case."

"So you say," the half-goblin smirked.

"Minerva, Pomona," Albus stated quietly, "any concerns?"

The two witches shared a brief look and then shook their heads.

"Then it is settled," the elder wizard decided. "Severus may continue to award or deduct points within reason. If need be, we can revisit the discussion in the future."

As the staff members all began nodding, Pomona spoke again. "I do not mean to sound disapproving at all, Severus, but what was it that possessed you to ask for her hand?"

"It was her father who requested the match," the Slytherin replied. "I simply was in no position to refuse it."

"Ah-_ha_!" Hooch exclaimed, pointing her finger into the table. "He's marrying for the money! That proves nothing!"

Poppy folded her arms. "I guess we'll just have to wait until the stork brings us a little bundle of proof, now won't we?"

Rolling his eyes, Snape coughed lightly to recapture their attention. "As you all have pointed out, the arrangement is rather… delicate with her still sitting classes, but you can be assured that full propriety and professionalism shall be observed until she is no longer a student."

"And likely afterwards, too."

"_Furthermore_," he stressed, glaring at the flying instructor, "as the engagement shall not be announced until some point this summer, Miss Shepherd would appreciate it if you would refrain from divulging any information until it has been made public."

"You're saying –"

"To keep your ruddy, gossiping traps shut until you see it in the _Prophet_," Hooch summarized with a nod of her head.

"Yes, _thank_ you, Rolanda," McGonagall smiled, touching the back of her head. "Was there anything else you wished to add, Severus?"

"Of course there isn't."

"Well, I'm sure we all look forward to receiving an invitation," Dumbledore stated. "With that, I believe it is time to adjourn."

"Oh, Severus, Albus – might I have a quick word with you?" the Deputy Headmistress murmured, catching the former in the midst of an attempted quick escape.

The elder wizard nodded and gestured to the fireplace. When they all had arrived in the Headmaster's office, the witch sank into a chair and cleared her throat. "About Mr. Corner – I am not comfortable with doing nothing. Could you perhaps convince Miss Shepherd to –"

"I am afraid that she is quite set on her decision," the Potions Master interrupted.

"But you're her fiancé," she argued. "Surely, you could –"

"There are still almost two weeks left until the end of term," Snape shrugged. "I think twelve consecutive nights of demeaning tasks could prove fruitful."

Minerva took in a slow breath as she looked to Dumbledore and then pinched her lips together in disapproval.

Leaning against the mantel, the younger wizard crossed his arms. "It appears that Miss Shepherd is actually more concerned with her godfather discovering the boy's transgression than her father."

"Her godfather?" the woman asked, glancing up at him.

"That would be one Lucius Abraxas Malfoy," Severus replied, donning a small smirk when she reacted with a snarl.

"In the interest of avoiding the boy's death, I believe we might want to follow Miss Shepherd's wishes," Albus stated, sinking into his chair.

Minerva eventually nodded and then rubbed her face. "I suppose that must be what you meant about not being in a position to refuse."

"Perhaps," the Slytherin answered.

"Nevertheless," the Deputy Headmistress said, adjusting her posture, "since you are her intended, it would be better if you were not to provide the boy's detention."

Snape rolled his eyes and looked to the wall. "Then be sure to instruct Argus to make his detentions creatively grueling."

"Within certain limits," she agreed.

"And Potter's."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "I've already informed him that he is to apologize to Miss Shepherd."

"He tore her sodding arm open," the man growled, stepping forward. "An apology is not acceptable on its own."

Dumbledore let out a quick breath before straightening in his chair. "He did not intend to harm her."

"No, he _intended_ to harm Draco," Severus countered angrily, "and had her _arm_ not been in the way, we could have been facing a much more serious situation as it would have struck _him_ in the chest."

Though he heard Minerva hiss in concern, he continued glaring at their employer. "And furthermore, the boy clearly needs to learn that mistakes have consequences and that he should not jump headfirst into a situation without having any information regarding it. The fact is he _did_ injure her, and _that_ deserves a detention in my opinion."

"You're right," the Gryffindor Head sighed, rubbing her temples. "But again, I shall give him to Argus."

"Fine," he snapped.

"Well," McGonagall commented after a tense silence had descended upon the office, "with Driscoll Shepherd as her father, Lucius Malfoy as her godfather, and you as her husband, she's likely to be the most protected witch in Britain."

"Or the least," Snape muttered beneath his breath before striding out of the room.

After watching him in surprise, the witch snapped her attention to the Headmaster. "What did he mean by that?"

"I'm not fully certain I could say," Dumbledore mumbled with a shake of his head.


End file.
